


Rendezvous - The Complete Novel Length

by cjgw



Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:49:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 55,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjgw/pseuds/cjgw
Summary: Tris Prior and Tobias Eaton, heirs to the Prior-Eaton International Travel Company, are desperate to break from the molds their parents try to fit around them. They haven't seen each other for years and when their parents thrust them together at their company's annual Thanksgiving gala, sparks fly. It's just a fling...at first.
Relationships: Four | Tobias Eaton/Tris Prior/Original Character(s)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you are all weathering the pandemic as well as you can!
> 
> Well, you’re probably wondering what in the world this is. For the past nearly two years, I’ve been working on converting the Rendezvous one shots into a full length novel. It has been a long process – and much harder than I expected – but it is finally complete!  
> This would not have been possible, at all, if not for Eunice339, my incredible alpha/beta combo. Without her encouragement, love, poking and prodding, I don’t know if I ever would have done this. This story is all her!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this and Happy Thanksgiving!

1

  
With two more weeks still to go before Thanksgiving, New York City was unseasonably cold, a slushy rain falling from the iron-gray skies. Inside the back of a yellow cab, Tobias Eaton pulled his trench coat a little closer around himself. He’d asked the cabbie to turn the heat up twice, but it was clear that the aging taxi had given all it could give. Tobias decided it didn’t matter as they were already nearing the corporate headquarters of Prior-Eaton International Travel.

Less than ten minutes later, the cab pulled up to the front of the midtown high-rise that housed his family’s company. Glancing at his watch, Tobias smiled to himself. He was going to be precisely on time for the meeting with his father. Marcus Eaton did not like to be kept waiting.

Upon arriving at Marcus’ office, Tobias frowned when he didn’t see his father’s secretary at her desk. He stood, debating what to do for a moment. Marcus didn’t tolerate lateness and Tobias needed his father’s approval on the additional funding for their charity, Helping Hands Foundation. However, Marcus also didn’t appreciate anyone—family included—barging into his office unannounced either. Deciding to risk it, Tobias strode toward the office door; he did have an appointment after all.

As he approached, he couldn’t help but notice the door was ajar and groaned at what he saw within. “Jesus,” he muttered, loudly enough to be heard across the room.

The secretary—Amelia, Allison, something like that—was just straightening up to her full height while smoothing her too-tight pencil skirt over her hips. She’d clearly been on her knees just a few moments before. Tobias silently scoffed; he wasn’t terribly surprised at the scenario. Marcus was notorious for sleeping with his staff, but considering it had taken a million dollars to keep the last secretary quiet just a year ago, Tobias had thought his father would exercise better judgment. No such luck, he thought as he entered the room.

“Son!” Marcus boomed, glancing at the clock on the bookshelf opposite him. “You’re right on time.” Flicking a glance at the young redhead, he said, “Thank you, Allison. That’ll be all for now.”

Allison smiled a completely unprofessional smile. “Of course, Mr. Eaton,” she purred. “It was my pleasure.” She crossed the room, ensuring that her hips swayed invitingly. As she approached Tobias, her eyes flicked smugly over to him. Lowering her voice so only he could hear her, she whispered, “That could have been you, you know. If you’d been man enough to take what I offered.” Allison smirked, clearly assuming her position as Marcus’ latest lover would give her some sort of leeway to speak to Tobias however she chose.

Tobias suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He had turned her down flat when she’d propositioned him a few months before, so she’d turned her eyes firmly towards Marcus—a move that had obviously worked. As she sashayed past him, Tobias glanced down at her mouth. “You missed some,” he said, wiping a finger along the side of his mouth, his gravelly voice serious and loud enough for Marcus to hear.

The woman flushed, either with anger or embarrassment—maybe both—and quickened her step out of the office, shutting the door firmly behind her. Tobias shook his head and strode to the chair across from his father's desk and dropped into it. Fury raced through his veins and it was all he could do to maintain a neutral expression as he regarded his father. Tobias could see Allison was just using Marcus—her quick pivot from Tobias to him was evidence of that—but Marcus was just as bad. Sex as a transaction was something Tobias had never understood.

"That wasn't very nice, Tobias," Marcus chided none too seriously.

Tobias tried hard not to let his anger and disgust at his father's casual amusement show. His carelessness could’ve meant disaster for the company and Tobias couldn’t fathom how Marcus would be so reckless. "So what? She left the door partially opened. You need to be more discreet, Dad. What if I had been an employee?"

Marcus' eyes narrowed. He didn’t appreciate being called on the carpet by anyone, least of all his own son. “I would think my employees are smart enough to keep what they see to themselves.” His voice carried a tone of warning.

The tone set Tobias' teeth on edge, but he couldn’t afford to alienate his father, not if he wanted to seal this deal for Helping Hands. Pissing off Marcus would only backfire on him and could push Marcus into being even more antagonistic. Whether he liked it or not, Tobias would eventually need Marcus’ approval to spin Helping Hands off as its own non-profit organization. “Our employees are absolutely loyal,” Tobias said carefully, “but that reporter, Nita Vargas, was heavily sniffing around Ellen before we negotiated her…um…separation agreement. The company doesn’t want any bad publicity.” In all honesty, Tobias was still pissed it cost the family a million dollars just because Marcus couldn’t keep his pants zipped. In this day and age, Marcus’ careless philandering could seriously damage the company’s brand, but whatever the potential risk, it still didn’t seem to dissuade him. Though, Tobias knew paying off the former secretary was a sore spot with Marcus too and mentioning it had the desired effect.

Marcus' expression turned serious and his deep-blue eyes, which were the same color as his son’s, locked on the closed door. "Hmm," he murmured, "you have a point, son. I'll have a word with her."

Pushing aside the unpleasant topic of his dad’s infidelities, Tobias pulled out a folder of spreadsheets from his briefcase. “I assume you’ve had a chance to review the projections I sent you yesterday?”

Reaching for a similar looking folder lying on the side of his desk, Marcus flipped it open lazily. “Yes, quite a thorough job, son, I must admit.”

Surprised that Marcus hadn’t outright rejected his idea, Tobias continued, “I wanted to make sure you had as much of the data as possible. As you can see, the cost of overhauling the Temperance isn’t financially feasible for Prior-Eaton. Instead, buying a new ship to replace her in the fleet makes much more sense in the long-term. But rather than junking her for parts, we could instead do some slight modifications and donate her for exclusive use by Helping Hands. It would be a win-win for both parties. Prior-Eaton will get a healthy and sound tax write-off for charitable purposes and Helping Hands will greatly reduce its overhead. With our own method of transportation and housing, we reduce the need for the charity to outsource those expenses.”

Marcus nodded idly, flipping through the financial projections Tobias had provided. “I can see some benefit to it, but I need to consider all the options. Have the accountants rerun the projections—give it to George and Jack.”

Tobias tried not to clench his teeth at his father’s deflection, knowing Marcus would notice the tightening of his jaw. “I already had both accounting and legal take a look at the proposal. Their memos are also contained in the file,” as he damn well knows, Tobias thought. Then again, it wouldn’t be his father if Marcus didn’t make him run the gauntlet before agreeing to the proposal. For all Marcus’ bluster about wanting his son to join Prior-Eaton, Tobias knew Marcus would keep testing him.

“It’s always best to double check these things,” Marcus answered flippantly and was pleased when he didn’t draw a reaction from his son. The boy is certainly honing his business skills, he conceded.

Realizing he wasn’t going to get any further with Marcus today, Tobias began rearranging the papers he’d pulled from his briefcase. “Well, I should let you get back to work—”

“Just a moment, son.” Marcus straightened in his chair and leaned across the table to look Tobias in the eye. “There’s one other thing I want to talk to you about.”

“Yes, sir?”

“The Thanksgiving Gala.”

This time Tobias could not contain his sigh. Every year for the past decade, Prior-Eaton had rewarded their top employees with a getaway trip to The Big Apple the weekend before Thanksgiving that culminated in an elegant gala hosted in their honor. Marcus had consistently used it to push the branding of Prior-Eaton as a family company—even if the Eaton portion of that family was a sham.

“Yes, Dad, I’ll be there.”

“Of course, you will. Which is why I’ve arranged for you to escort Beatrice Prior.”

Tobias stared at his father in shock. “What?”

Marcus sighed impatiently. “Beatrice…Andrew’s daughter. She’ll be alone this year since her brother will be escorting his fiancée. Beatrice isn’t seeing anyone and neither are you, so Andrew and I thought this would be a perfect solution to ensure no one inappropriate makes an appearance this year.”

Tempering down the anger rising inside him, Tobias forced himself to take a deep breath. His parents had never been the type of people to hold back their feelings about the women he’d dated even though his reputation as somewhat of a playboy was greatly exaggerated. “I’m perfectly capable of finding a date myself, Dad.”

Marcus smirked a little. “I don’t think any of your models would be an appropriate choice for a family function.”

Tobias held his tongue at the irony of Marcus’ statement given what Tobias had just walked in on. Besides that, Tobias had never told his parents that the few models he’d escorted to various parties weren’t anything more than friends, two of them even had relationships of their own they preferred not to publicize. He admitted it was petty of him to allow his parents to think all he wanted was some pretty face, but it amused him nonetheless. “Dad, I haven’t been around Beatrice in years. I think the last time I even saw her was before we moved to England.” Tobias was only sixteen when his grandfather had died and the Board of Directors unanimously voted Marcus as CEO of Prior-Eaton. Marcus then moved the family back to his childhood home in London where their European offices were located and felt it only right to name Andrew Prior as partner and CFO of the company both of their grandfathers had started.

“Then it is time you renewed your association with my partner’s daughter.”

Tobias couldn’t suppress another sigh. When he’d last seen Beatrice Prior, she’d been a skinny, gawky kid with braces who preferred to have her face in a book rather than talk to actual people. “Dad, really; I don’t want to spend the evening with a stranger.”

“She may be a bit boring, but she’s a lovely, young lady. Besides, it’s only a few hours.” Marcus idly tapped his fingers on top of the folder containing the financial projections for Helping Hands.

The underlying meaning behind Marcus’ tapping fingers was not lost on Tobias. He was well aware that Marcus would be more than willing to use Helping Hands against him if it came down to it. “Come now, son,” Marcus cajoled. “It won’t be that bad. Beatrice may not be a model, but she is pretty. You can put up with her for a few hours, can’t you?”

Tobias’ jaw tightened as he considered his father’s unspoken message. If he refused to escort Beatrice, Marcus would turn down his proposal to use one of Prior-Eaton’s old ships as the cornerstone of Helping Hands’ charitable enterprise. It was blackmail, pure and simple. After a moment, Tobias’ shoulders sagged. “Yes, Dad, I can do it.”

Marcus grinned broadly—he’d been confident Tobias would capitulate. “Excellent! I’ll tell Andrew. I’m sure you two will hit it right off.”

Tobias slunk down in his chair. “Yes, Dad. I’m sure you’re right,” he said, dully. The thought of the gala had just gone from annoying to unbearable.

xXx

“Your dad’s a fucking prick, dude,” Zeke Pedrad proclaimed, taking a sip of his decaffeinated iced tea. A tight end for the New York Giants, he and Tobias had been best friends since they were nine years old, having bonded at the all-boys private school they’d both attended before Tobias moved to London. During the season, Zeke religiously avoided alcohol, not wanting anything to potentially mess up his game. In solidarity, his friends usually tee-totaled with him.

Tobias snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know, man.” He took a deep drink of his own tea and sighed. He’d come over not long after leaving his father’s office, needing to vent out his frustration and anger. For the last several minutes he’d been brooding into his glass.

Zeke’s younger brother, Uriah, shrugged. “It won’t be so bad,” he argued. “Tris is cool.”

“‘Tris’?” Tobias asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah. She hates Beatrice—says it’s too old fashioned.”

Tobias shrugged. “That’s something, at least.” He sighed again. “I should have figured he’d do something, but to use the charity to force me into spending the evening with this woman just pisses me off. Now I’m going to be stuck with her all evening.”

Uriah rolled his eyes. “Trust me, Tobias, she’s probably no happier about this than you.”

“Still,” Zeke cut in, “you’ve got to admit, Uri, it’s pretty fucked up.”

“I’m not saying it’s not. I’m just saying there’s no reason to get all upset about it.”

“Come on, would you want to spend all night with some chick you don’t even know just because mom and dad forced you to?” Zeke argued then turned to Tobias. “When was the last time you even saw her?”

Tobias thought for a moment. “It was before we moved to England. I was about sixteen, so she must have been, what…twelve or thirteen?”

“She’s my age,” Uriah pointed out. “Don’t forget, we went to Princeton together.”

“Okay, fine, then she was fourteen.”

Uriah leaned forward. “That’s my point. It’s been almost fifteen years since you spent any time with her. She’s not a kid anymore. She’s an interesting, vivacious, intelligent, beautiful woman.”

“You’re her friend,” Tobias pointed out.

Before Uriah could retort, Zeke butted in. “Well, he’s not wrong,” Zeke conceded. “Tris is a lot of fun once you get her to relax. And…” he wiggled his eyebrows, “she’s pretty hot. Isn’t she, Uri?” Zeke had needled his brother for years about his tendency to have more friends who were women than men, especially beautiful women.

Uriah shot a frown at his brother. “Don’t be a jerk.”

“I’m not! Look—if he has to have a woman foisted on him, she should at least be hot.”

Uriah turned to Tobias. “Like I said, Tris is an amazing woman and I’m positive you’ll like her. Just—just be regular you, not asshole you.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m an asshole?” he asked, his voice deepening as he glared at Uriah.

“See, that right there. That’s what I’m talking about. You go all military and act like people are enemy combatants or something. Believe me, her parents probably pressured her too, so she’ll be just as pissed. You guys are on the same side, so don’t take your shit out on her.” Uriah took a deep drink from his glass. Tobias could be intimating as hell when he wanted to be and Uriah usually didn’t push it, but Tris was too important to him to let it go. Zeke and Tobias exchanged glances. The humor had faded from Zeke’s face and now he was looking at Uriah with a bit more interest.

Tobias studied Uriah for a moment too, trying to figure out what to say next. Finally, he said hesitantly, “Look, Uri, is there something you’ve got going with her? If so, I’ll push back, tell my dad that she’s seeing someone. I can try to get her out of this.” Tobias had heard from Zeke that Uri had a friends-with-benefits arrangement with Tris’ best friend, Christina, who he hung out with even when they weren’t sleeping together. Tobias knew he was also close to Tris, maybe more so than with Christina. That combined with his passionate defense, made Tobias wonder if there was more to Tris and Uriah’s friendship than met the eye.

Uriah looked startled. “No, it’s not like that,” he insisted. “We’re just friends. She’s like…a sister,” he finished lamely. It wasn’t entirely true; Uriah had had a mild crush on her in college, but Tris hadn’t been interested. He’d thought about making a play for her after she broke up with her boyfriend, Robert Black, and he’d broken up with his girlfriend, Marlene, but by that time, they’d been seniors and there was entirely too much history between them. Still, Tris held a special place in Uriah’s heart and he would hate to see Tobias screw with her.

Tobias stared at Uriah for a moment longer, not sure he believed him, but he decided to let it go. If Tris was important to Uriah, then Tobias resolved to be on his best behavior. “Okay, I’ll be good,” he promised. He reached for his glass again. “Hell, you’re probably right and we could be allies in this. It’d be nice to have somebody on my side against my parents at one of these things for once.”

Zeke toasted Tobias with his glass. “That’s the spirit!” He then turned his gaze to Uriah. “Happy now?”

“Kiss ass, Zeke.” Uriah was beginning to regret being so outspoken. He knew Zeke was not going to let it go.

“Hey, I’m not the one going all knight-in-shining-armor here.”

“I’m just looking out for a friend.”

“Uh-huh, a friend you’d like to fuck?” Zeke taunted. He’d harbored the same suspicion as Tobias about Uriah’s feelings toward Tris.

“You know, Zeke, you’re a real asshole.” Uriah shot back. “Just because I know how to be a  
gentleman—”

“What-the-fuck-ever!”

Tobias settled back into the armchair, letting the bickering brothers soothe his nerves. The Pedrads had always been so damn normal; their family dynamic had been a ray of hope for Tobias when he was younger. His own parents’ caustic relationship could have made him deeply skeptical of marriage and relationships, but Zeke and Uriah’s parents—Hana and Jonathan—were the best example of a normal, loving relationship Tobias had ever seen. The delight they took in their sons had spilled over to Tobias, making him an honorary Pedrad. Their home was where he went whenever he was in town and his own family was too much. As he smiled fondly at the brothers, who were now outright arguing over which was the more chivalrous man, Tobias felt himself settle. He could get through one dinner. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

  


2

  
“Come on, Tris. Please!”

Tris sighed deeply and glared at her twin brother. “Caleb, I have no desire to stay here until the end! It’s bad enough that I had to agree to have Tobias Eaton escort me,” Tris sneered the word escort. “But now you expect me to take your place handing out the parting gifts and listening to speeches so you can go off with your fiancée? Nope, no way.”

Caleb pulled Tris closer so he wouldn’t be overheard. People were beginning to enter the ballroom and find their way to their tables. “Cara is here!” he hissed.

“Of course, she’s here! She’s just been named Assistant Director of Online Operations.” Tris rolled her eyes at her brother.

“I know, I know, but I don’t want her to have to watch me and Susan doing the whole welcome/goodbye thing.” Caleb’s green eyes, their mother’s eyes, were pleading. “Come on, Tris. If not for me, then do it for her. Cara’s your friend. I don’t want to hurt her any more than I already have.”

Tris heaved a huge sigh. “It’s been nearly a year, Caleb. She’s over it.” But still, Tris’ gaze wandered over to the blonde currently chatting with Gus, the Director of Online Operations for Prior-Eaton. “But you’re right, I don’t want to see her hurt.” Tris glared at her brother. “I’m still mad at you for what you did to her.”

Caleb hunched his shoulders a little. “Yeah, I know.” He might not admit it often, but his twin’s disapproval did bother him.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Tris regarded her brother. It wasn’t an ideal place—there were people milling about the ballroom so it was possible they would be overheard—but this was the first time Tris felt like she could actually get straight answers out of her brother. She pulled him to a relatively quiet corner of the ballroom and lowered her voice. “So, why’d you do it? Why’d you just take off like that? Cara was confused…Mom and Dad were hurt. It was a damn mess and you just left.”

“I just…I just didn’t know how to tell everyone I wanted to go back into research.” Caleb hunched his shoulders. “When I graduated from medical school, Mom and Dad were so excited about me joining the staff of ship’s doctors; I just went along with it. When I met Cara, I thought everything would be okay.” Gesturing helplessly, Caleb shrugged. “Then I got that call from Harold and I just couldn’t say no.” Harold was a former professor of Caleb’s, now at the University of Toronto. He’d had a breakthrough in cancer treatment based on research Caleb had helped him with as a student. Without any warning, Caleb accepted a position on Harold’s medical research team and moved to Toronto. He’d not only told his parents that he was quitting Prior-Eaton, but also broke up with Cara…over the telephone.

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to dump Cara that way!” Tris said, narrowing her eyes. “I have been friends with her since college. Do you know how awkward it has been with her? With Will?” Tris had a tight-knit group of friends and having one of them date her twin brother had made it better than she’d dreamed. And Will, Cara’s brother, was not only Tris’ friend too, but also her best friend’s sometimes-boyfriend.

“I didn’t know how to tell her what I wanted. I knew it would be awkward, so I thought it would be easier for all of us if I severed as many ties to Prior-Eaton as I could.” Caleb looked his sister straight in the eye, something he hadn’t done in months. “I’m not proud of myself. It was a chicken-shit move.”

“Yeah, it was. Then to just move on with Susan Black like nothing happened,” Tris shook her head. “It just made it all the worse.”

Caleb pushed a hand through his sandy blond hair. “I knew I had screwed up. But you know how Dad can be. Every time I tried to talk to him, to help him understand, he’d just perseverate on how much extra work they’d had to do to fill my position. I just…I felt so guilty. So when Mom asked, I felt obligated to go out with Susan that first time. I didn’t expect things to happen the way they did.”

Tris was quiet, considering her twin’s words. She looked up at him, a lifetime of shared experiences passing between them. They’d both tried their best to be the perfect children they thought their parents deserved, but there always seemed to be a disconnect between what they wanted and what their parents wanted for them. Caleb hated confrontation and having to tell their parents he was walking away from their dream for him was tantamount to torture. Looking back, Tris could see why her brother had done things the way he did. “I guess I can understand why you went out with Susan,” she said grudgingly.

A surge of hope shot through Caleb. He’d hated the distance he’d created with Tris and if this were to be his only chance to bridge that, then he would gladly bare his soul. “They were so happy when we kept dating, making it clear they wanted me and Susan together. She’s so sweet and amenable, and the Blacks wanted it too, especially since you and Robert didn’t work out. It just seemed easier for us to go along with it.”

She sighed and turned a hard gaze onto her brother. She already knew she was going to agree to help him, not just because Cara was her friend, but also because she could understand how Caleb felt. “If I do this, I’m doing this for Cara, not you. Even though I understand, I’m still mad at you and I’m going to be for a while.”

“Thank you, Tris! You know I love you, right? And I hope you will eventually forgive me.”

“I know,” she murmured, “And, Dad can be—forceful—when he wants something.”

Feeling a thousand pounds lighter, Caleb threw an arm around Tris and gave her a side hug. “I’m not as strong as you, little sister,” he teased. Tris was five minutes younger than him and he never let her forget it. “How have you been able to hold Dad at bay? You haven’t had to officially join the company.”

“Don’t think it’s been easy,” she warned. Tris had managed to keep her participation in Prior-Eaton limited to part-time work in their advertising department so she could concentrate on her writing, something her family still didn’t realize she was taking seriously. “But look at me now. I let them badger me into coming tonight and having Tobias as my escort, no less.” Tris had missed the last several of these employee Thanksgiving events—first because she was in college, then finishing her Master’s degree, and last year because she was sick.

“He’s actually a good guy,” Caleb defended. “I know you guys haven’t spent a lot of time together in the last several years, but I have and I think you’ll like him.”

Tris snorted. “Hardly. The man traipses around the world, doing who knows what, then shows up every now and then in a magazine with some slinky model. Yeah, that’s my kind of guy.”

“He was in the military,” Caleb pointed out. “And then he went to the London School of Economics.”

Rolling her eyes, Tris retorted, “And has spent the last couple of years partying with models.”

Caleb paused. He knew that Tobias wasn’t what Tris thought he was. Before he’d left Prior-Eaton for medical school, Tobias had asked Caleb if he knew anyone at Doctors Without Borders. Tobias had wanted to create a connection with them and the company’s then fledgling charity. Caleb had brokered the introduction and had been amazed at how detailed Tobias’ plans were when they’d met for lunch with one of Caleb’s medical school classmates. It was then that Caleb realized that Tobias was the real driving force behind Helping Hands Foundation; there was a lot more to Tobias than what people saw. “It was only a couple of models, Tris. He and Lauren Seagram dated for, like, two years before she got married.”

Tris shrugged her brother’s arm off her shoulders and tucked a lock of hair back into the twisted chignon at the nape of her neck. “Whatever. It’s only a few hours,” she reasoned. “It shouldn’t be that bad.” Straightening her shoulders, she pasted on her professional smile. “Okay, let’s do this.” She wound her arm through her brother’s and led him into the ballroom.

The employees of the catering company were bustling around, putting the finishing touches on the tables. Various Prior-Eaton executives were already sprinkled around the room, talking to each other and waiting for the honored employees to arrive. Caleb led Tris to the back of the ballroom where a man and woman stood, apparently in deep discussion about something. Tris recognized Johanna Reyes, the Vice President of Charitable Giving at Prior-Eaton. The man’s back was turned to them, but Tris could see that he was tall and broad-shouldered with wavy, dark hair. As they got closer, Caleb called out, “Hey, Tobias!” and the man immediately turned around.

_Holy. Hell._

It was all Tris could do to keep her jaw from dropping. It had been nearly fifteen years since she’d seen Tobias Eaton in person and she was floored. The man was absolutely gorgeous. He was sporting a neatly trimmed beard, something Tris never realized could look so damn good on a man. The matching black shirt and thin tie beneath his black suit jacket was just fitted enough for Tris to make out the muscles hidden beneath the fine fabric. She’d known he was attractive, but she hadn’t realized how strong of a punch he could pack. Everything about this man exuded male beauty and strength. His nearly navy-blue eyes caught hers and Tris felt a jolt of electricity spark throughout her body. Those eyes were captivating—magnetic even—and Tris found herself unable to look away. They stayed locked on hers as she and Caleb approached and Tris had to wonder if he felt the same pull towards her as she was feeling towards him.

He finally smiled, those full lips curving seductively. He politely turned to Caleb first and held out his hand for a shake. "Hi, Caleb. Good to see you again." The timbre of his voice seemed to caress Tris' skin so fully that she wondered if Caleb felt her tremble. Tobias' deep gaze turned back to Tris, "Beatrice. It's been a while. You look lovely."

"Hello, Tobias. It has been a long time. And it’s just Tris," she practically purred. Tris subconsciously ordered herself to get her shit together. She was going to be spending the next few hours with this man and she would not appear a blithering idiot.

“Tris,” he repeated and Tris felt her knees weaken at the sound of her name in that deep baritone voice. Tobias turned slightly to Johanna. "I believe you both know Johanna."

“Yes, hello.” Caleb reached out to shake Johanna’s hand. “It’s good to see you again.” Johanna smiled and returned the greeting, then began chatting amiably with Caleb. Their voices began fading into the background as Tris and Tobias stared at each other.

“So, I’m to escort you tonight,” Tobias said, a small smile hovering over his lips.

Tris chuckled a little, hoping she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. “Yes, I’m sorry you got roped into this. My parents and yours thought putting us together would be a good idea.”

“I’m beginning to think they were right,” he murmured. Tris bit down on her bottom lip a little, desperately trying to think of something witty to say. Behind her, she realized that people were beginning to file into the ballroom. She glanced over her shoulder then turned back to find his hand held out to her. “Shall we?” he asked.

Tris placed her hand into his and once again felt that familiar electric shock. Her eyes flew up to his and this time, she could see that spark reflected in his dark blues, too. “Yes, I suppose we shall,” she whispered back.

xXx

They made their obligatory rounds among the attendees, smiling and greeting people as they went along. Tobias was the perfect society host—he said the right things and acted the right way—but there was something about him that led Tris to believe there was more to explore behind his pleasant smile. There was something just this side of wicked gleaming in those bright, blue eyes and Tris wondered just what she needed to do to break through his societal control.

She tucked her arm into the crook of his as they finished talking to the top-rated employee from the Los Angeles office and her husband. Tobias looked down at Tris and smiled. “I think we deserve a drink,” he said, leading her over to the bar.

“Champagne,” Tris said to the bartender.

“Same.” Tobias reached for the glasses after the bartender poured them and handed one to Tris. As they sipped, Tobias considered her over the rim of his glass. “Are you having fun?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Tris said, hoping she had kept the sarcasm out of her voice. She assumed she wasn’t entirely successful when he smirked at her. He started to reply, but they were interrupted when a pencil-thin, redhead in a dark-green dress placed her hand on Tobias’ shoulder.

“Well, hello, Tobias,” she practically cooed. Tris raised an eyebrow at the woman’s rudeness and flicked her eyes to Tobias, but his expression was frozen. Tris leaned back slightly against the bar, prepared to enjoy what was obviously going to be a show.

“Sarah,” he said blandly before glancing back at Tris. “Have you met Tris Prior? Tris, Sarah is one of the account executives here in the New York office.”

Sarah turned her sharp gaze to Tris, her dark-green eyes taking in the fitted, rose-colored, capped sleeve, sheath dress Tris wore. Tris looked elegant and classic, her golden hair pulled up into a chignon with a few wisps brushing her neck. Every inch the pampered, rich girl, Sarah thought with a sneer, though she did purse her lips in envy at the four-inch-high Jimmy Choo heels in sparkling pink and white ombre Tris wore. Despite her excellent taste in shoes and the Prior name, Sarah dismissed Tris of being any real importance to the company or to the current situation, so murmured a curt greeting before turning back to Tobias. She reached out and lightly fingered the lapel of Tobias’ suit. “I was hoping to run into you here,” she purred. Tobias took a slight step back but she merely continued forward. “I was hoping we could get together while you’re in town.”

Tobias shook his head. “No, sorry, that won’t be possible.” He slid an arm around Tris’ waist and pulled her close to him. “Tris and I have plans.”

Sarah looked from him to Tris and back again then gave a slight laugh. “You aren’t serious?” Her smile faded a little as she stared at Tobias’ poker face giving nothing away. “You aren’t together,” she dismissed, her eyes narrowing. “I happen to know from your father’s secretary that you’re not seeing anyone,” she accused. Allison was Sarah’s younger sister and obviously the source of her company gossip.

Tris, deciding it was time to end Tobias’ discomfiture, responded brightly, “No, we’re just using each other for the sex.” Beside her Tobias snorted out a laugh and Sarah’s cheeks burned red. Without a word she turned on her ice pick heels and stormed away.

Respect and amusement gleamed in Tobias’ eyes as he turned to Tris. “Thanks for that.”

“No problem.” Tris placed her now empty glass on the bar. “I have met her before, you know,” she said conversationally. “She’s always been a bitch, so I enjoyed taking her down a notch.”

He drained his own glass. “She hits on me every time I see her at one of these things. Won’t take no for an answer.”

Tris patted him on the chest. “Aw, poor baby. Maybe now she’ll leave you alone.”

He leaned down, bringing his lips close to her ears. Tris shuddered a little as she inhaled his cologne—a spicy, uber-male scent that set off a flutter in her belly. “I owe you one.” He caught her gaze and Tris found herself falling into those deep-blue eyes, the rest of the room fading around her.

She swallowed and took in a breath, hoping to calm her racing heart. “I’ll be sure to collect.”

Grinning, Tobias straightened. “I look forward to it.”

xXx

Tobias had to admit, the evening wasn’t nearly as bad as he had feared and a large part of that had to do with the woman next to him. The last time he’d seen her, Tris had been an awkward teenager, but now she was an elegant, beautiful woman. Tobias had been impressed with how she had worked the room earlier in the evening and was now allowing his gaze to admire the long line of her neck, wondering if her skin would be as soft under his lips as it was to his eye. She was laughing at her brother as she sat back, crossing her rather excellent legs. He lingered on the expanse of thigh exposed by her skirt as it slid up and reached for his glass of water to get his mind off of what he’d like to do with that thigh.

“Tobias, how are things going with the charity?”

Torn from his erotic fantasy, Tobias looked up to see the object of his desire’s brother waiting expectantly for his response. He cleared his throat slightly before responding, “Very well, actually. We are in the process of looking into re-purposing one of Prior-Eaton’s ships for Helping Hands. It would serve as a transportation method for people and supplies and a means of lodging for our charity work.”

Tris cocked her head to the side and studied Tobias closely. It was not the first time Tobias had said something with depth that completely surprised her this evening, forcing her to realize that she’d pegged Tobias all wrong. He wasn’t nearly the world-weary playboy she’d assumed him to be. Tobias caught Tris’ look and smiled. “What?”

“Nothing,” she said, a little embarrassed that she’d been caught staring at him. “I guess I’m a little surprised that you convinced the Board of Directors to donate a ship.”

Flashing a grin, Tobias answered, “Well, I haven’t quite convinced them yet, but your father is on board, especially since the finances work out in everyone’s favor.”

“They certainly do,” a hand landed lightly on Tobias’ shoulder and he tried not to jerk away from Andrew Prior’s gesture. Guilt once again churned in Tobias’ stomach as he tried to banish the lascivious thoughts of Andrew’s daughter from his mind. He could not have a conversation with the man while he was lusting for his daughter. It was just wrong. “Tobias’ project may well be a serious benefit for Prior-Eaton.” Andrew smiled down at Tobias, his icy-blue eyes matching his daughter’s. “I’m sure your father is proud of what you’re attempting.”

Tris watched as a flush worked its way up Tobias’ neck. Intrigued, she stared at him, completely sure now that Tobias wasn’t the bored playboy playing at philanthropy she’d thought him to be. As she watched Tobias and her father talk, Tris admitted to herself that she found Tobias fascinating. He was definitely attractive with those intense blue eyes, wavy brown hair and chiseled features softened by a slight dimpling in each cheek when he smiled. Beneath the finely tailored suit, she could just make out the muscles of his hard body. Tris had been surprised when she’d first taken his arm and felt the strength he exuded, and she certainly hoped that he hadn’t noticed that she’d been subtly continuing to squeeze those arms as they walked.

She yanked her mind back to the present when her father sat down. She watched as Susan and Caleb walked together to the adjoining ballroom where the dancing was scheduled to take place, a little embarrassed that she’d been so caught up in studying Tobias that she’d missed out on them opening the doors so that the music could begin to stream through. Andrew smiled indulgently at Caleb and Susan as they left. “They’re a good match,” he murmured, more to himself than to Tris and Tobias.

“They seem to be a nice couple,” Tobias agreed diplomatically.

Andrew turned back to them, his gaze wandering over Tris and Tobias. “You kids seem to be having a good time tonight,” he observed. “I’m glad you two are getting along so well.”

Tris’ eyes narrowed as she saw the spark of interest on Andrew’s face. She didn’t want him to get any ideas that he could orchestrate a match for her the way he had for Caleb. “It’s been a nice night, Dad.”

“Good, good!” Andrew’s smile widened. “You know, Tobias, Beatrice is working with us in our Chicago office. She’s really gifted with writing copy for our advertisements. She’d be good to consult with for Helping Hands, too. I’m sure you two would make a very effective team.”

“Dad,” Tris said, warning clear in her voice, “you know I haven’t committed to working for the company.”

Andrew dismissed her words with a shrug, clearly ignoring his daughter’s annoyance. “It would be good for you to commit yourself to something.” He smiled again at Tobias. “Beatrice is really very talented. Since you’re both here in New York, it would be good for you two to get together, talk about publicizing Helping Hands’ work. We can arrange some time for you together in one of the board rooms.”

Tris leaned forward frowning—trying hard to keep a hold of her temper. “Dad—” she started, her voice sharp, but Tobias smoothly interrupted her.

“Tris, would you like to dance?” he asked, standing up and holding a hand out to her. She looked up at him, at the look of sympathetic amusement on his face and she softened.

“Yeah.” She placed her hand in his and shooting one last withering glance at her father, followed Tobias through the doors to the secondary ballroom where a band and singer were set up at the far end of the room. He smoothly pulled her into his arms among the other couples dancing and they began swaying to the jazz band. Tris moved stiffly at first, but as they danced, she slowly relaxed. “I’m sorry about that,” she said finally.

Tobias chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry about it. I get it. I get the same pressure from my folks.”

“Marriage or job?”

“Both.”

Tris laughed with Tobias, relaxing even further against him. “They can’t seem to help themselves, can they?” She glanced through the crowd at her brother and Susan. “It doesn’t help that they managed to arrange Susan and Caleb,” she murmured. “I know they want nothing more than to see me happily tucked into both the company and connubial bliss with an acceptable man.” Tris sighed. Her parents’ vision for her was so clear she could see it and it made her vaguely nauseous. She loved her parents—she really did—but the idea of living her life for their dreams made her feel as though she were suffocating.

Nodding sympathetically, Tobias said, “My mom keeps trying to fix me up with a daughter of a friend of hers and I keep ducking. I even enlisted in the Navy to get away from her.”

“You did not!”

Laughing, he twirled her around. “Not entirely, but it was a big bonus. I try to keep my parents from meddling too much, especially in my love life. Who wants to say their parents set them up? I mean, come on!” he said teasingly.

He made her laugh, Tris marveled. Very few men in her social circle were as cynical about their lifestyle as she was, but somehow Tobias understood and even seemed to share her sentiments. How had she missed that all these years? They swayed, moving together as if they’d done this a thousand times before. Tris realized she enjoyed the feel of his body against hers; his large hand pressing into the small of her back while his other hand enveloped hers in a warm grip. He moved gracefully, gliding her around the dance floor so effortlessly, Tris found herself closing her eyes, basking in the movement of his body against hers. She began humming the music softly to herself and opened her eyes in surprise when she heard his deep baritone echoing the words with her.

“I’ve got you, under my skin,” Tobias sang softly, not noticing that Tris was looking up at him in amusement. He stopped when he realized she was no longer humming to herself but watching him. He flushed a little. “Whoops. Sorry.”

“No, no, it was great. You’ve got a great voice, and nothing beats Sinatra.”

He shrugged. “I like the classics.”

Tris nodded in agreement. “What else do you listen to?”

Tilting his head, he considered the question. “Blues, hip-hop, classic rock, jazz…I’ve got an eclectic play list.” He rubbed his hand lightly along the small of her back, setting off goose bumps along her entire spine. “What about you?”

“Um, similar, I guess, even though I haven’t listened to a lot of blues or jazz.”

“Really?” His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “We need to change that.”

“You have any suggestions?” she teased, her voice coming out a lot huskier than she’d intended.

He smiled that smile again and Tris felt her knees weaken a little. “Sure. You doing anything after this?”

“No.”

“Why don’t you come with me to a little place I know. Jazz, whiskey, good food—it’s my favorite way to relax.”

Pressing herself against him, Tris looked up into his eyes and once again experienced that drowning sensation she’d been feeling all night. “Why not?”

“Good,” he said, his deep voice caressing the word. “It’s a date.”

  


3

  
“So, which one do you like best?” Tobias asked, placing his now empty glass of whiskey on the table, joining the three others sitting in front of him.

Tris spread Camembert cheese onto a round of baguette and looked up at him. “I wasn’t a fan of the Laphroaig, but the Glenlivet was pretty good.” She bit into the bread enjoying the juxtaposition of the creamy cheese with the bite of the single malt that was still lingering on her tongue.

“How did you find this place?” Tris asked, finishing off the bread. They were tucked into a corner booth at Tobias’ favorite whiskey bar. The small bar was in the basement of a swanky restaurant, with about thirty tables and booths and a small stage for live music.

The jazz quartet a perfect accompaniment to the dimly lit room and the tasting flight of Scottish single malt whiskeys he’d talked her into trying, she decided. They’d finally relaxed from the pressures of being the perfect children at the gala, Tobias having removed his suit coat, loosened his tie and opened the first two buttons on his shirt while Tris pulled her hair out of the neat chignon. The mood was mellow—sensual even—and Tris was definitely feeling the current of electricity running between her and Tobias. They’d been teasing each other all night, testing each other’s limits, and the undeniably sexy atmosphere of the club had only heightened the tension between them. They were certainly building to something—they could both feel it.

“The uncle of a friend of mine moved here from London and opened a nightclub. He turned me on to this place since the owner is a friend of his.” Tobias reached for his glass of water and Tris couldn’t help but notice how his shirt accentuated his muscles as it tightened over him. When he sat back, he noticed her gaze and shot her a grin.

Rather than be embarrassed, Tris grinned back. “I have to admit, you were right about this. It is pretty…relaxing.” She drawled the last word.

It was all Tobias could do to keep from pulling her close to him at the husky purr in her voice. “I told you, it’s my favorite way.”

Tris tapped her finger along the rim of the glass in time to the low wail of the saxophone. “Hmm, I can think of a few other ways that might be better,” she teased, enjoying the way his eyes darkened.

“That so?” he drawled, his fingers lightly brushing hers as he reached for an herb breadstick.

The touch was light, but it set off sparks along Tris’ nerve endings. She slid slightly closer to him. “Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”

Tobias held her gaze and leaned towards her. The spicy scent of his cologne mixed with the musk of the whiskey and Tris wondered if he should come with a potency proof like the whiskey. “So,” she said, settling back into the booth, “which one do you like best?” She gestured to the empty glasses in front of him.

Tobias reached out and snagged the last slice of salami from the cheese and charcuterie platter they’d ordered along with the whiskey. “The Glenmorangie is my favorite,” he said, nodding towards Tris’ glass. “That’s what’s in your last one there.”

Lifting the glass, she gave him a little smirk. “Saved the best for last, huh?” Tobias winked at her and once again, Tris felt a flutter in her belly as he stretched his arm along the back of the booth. The movement once again pulled the dark shirt tightly across his chest, accentuating his muscles, and Tris had a very clear image of her running her hands over those muscles. She wondered if it felt half as good as she thought it would.

She swirled the amber-colored whiskey around in the wide-bottomed glass for a moment before bringing it to her lips. Her eyes met Tobias’ dark-blue ones, which were twinkling in amusement. Allowing the smooth liquid to slide down her throat, Tris closed her eyes and enjoyed the slight burn under the smoky flavor. She opened her eyes to see Tobias watching her with undisguised want in his eyes. Slowly, Tris licked her lips, enjoying the spark of heat in his eyes as he watched her. “Mmm, that was good,” she purred.

Unable to take any further stimulation, Tobias leaned forward and firmly took Tris’ mouth. With a small sigh, Tris scooted just a little closer to him as his arm dropped from the back of the booth to slide around her waist. He eased her back a little against the back of the seat and Tris’ hand grasped his thigh and squeezed. In response, Tobias deepened the kiss, his tongue caressing hers as he brought his other hand up to cup her cheek. Time seemed to stop and the room faded away until there was nothing but the two of them. His lips were impossibly soft against hers and Tris lost herself in him completely. She had no idea how long they sat kissing, but her dress suddenly felt entirely too hot and too tight as she slid her hand further up his thigh, higher and higher until his hand came down heavily on hers. Tobias pulled back with a gasp and searched her face.

“Come home with me,” he whispered huskily.

Tris felt as though she were caught in a dream, the world hazy around her. “Yes.”

Tobias brushed his lips across hers one more time. “I’ll go take care of the bill.”

Still in a daze, Tris nodded. “I need to visit the ladies’ room. I’ll meet you by the elevator.”

“Okay.” Tobias slid out of the booth, extending his hand to help her up. He stared at the creamy skin of her thighs as her dress slid up when she exited the booth. She wasn’t a tall woman, but now, with her dress hiked high on her thigh and her feet encased in those sparkling mile-high heels, her legs looked ridiculously long. When she stood in front of him, a slight smirk on her face, he knew she’d allowed her dress to slide up on purpose, giving him that spectacular view. They stood by the booth a moment, holding hands, staring into each other’s eyes. A line had been crossed and they both knew it. There was no going back now; the desire between them was too irresistible.

Tobias watched as Tris threw her coat over her arm then walked through the tables on her way to the restrooms. He shook his head a little and made his way through the crowd to the bar. The bartender knew him well and produced the tab quickly. Tobias dropped a large bill on the tray before glancing again towards the bathrooms. He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t expected Tris. She was amazing, so much more than he’d ever thought. He remembered her from years past and had to admit, he’d rarely paid attention to her. He’d known she was cute, but in the years each of them had been apart, she’d matured from the almost too-skinny teen into one of the most arresting women he’d ever seen. She wasn’t beautiful in the conventional sense, but her vitality—the passion for life he saw shining in those icy-blue eyes—was beyond captivating. Add to that her sharp mind and quick wit and Tobias had to admit he was tumbling head first into uncharted territory for him. Taking her home was a calculated risk. If their families ever found out, there would be hell to pay, not to mention an intense, unrelenting pressure to make things official. But he couldn’t resist. He wanted her more than he’d wanted any woman before.

The bartender slid Tobias’ change back to him and grinned. “Never seen you bring a woman in here before,” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows, “and then you bring in a hot one.”

“She’s a friend.”

“Uh-huh.”

Tobias grinned, leaving a generous tip, and made his way through the crowd towards the elevator to wait for Tris. He’d just pulled on his overcoat when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning to face Tris, she grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled him to her. Tobias tangled his fingers into her hair, cupping her neck as he bent his head and kissed her again teasingly—his lips just brushing hers. “Ready to go?” he murmured, running his fingers down her silky hair.

“Absolutely.”


	2. November 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning everyone! I hope you all stuffed yourself full of pie on Thanksgiving! 
> 
> Wow, you all are the absolute best! I’m so glad many of you are enjoying the expanded universe and I hope I don’t let you down! This chapter adds even more to our universe. Enjoy the changes!

4

Sarah Conroy slid into the bar stool in the hotel bar, flipping her long, red hair behind her shoulder. The bartender walked over, appreciation sparking in his brown eyes despite the annoyed look on her face. “What can I get you, beautiful?” he flirted.

“Martini, dry, two olives,” she ordered shortly. Ordinarily, she would have appreciated the interest from the handsome blond bartender but tonight she was entirely too angry. She had assumed, expected really, that she would have had better success with Tobias. She’d been laying the groundwork for months to get his attention—ever since he’d begun working full time out of the New York office for the company’s charity. She’d even wormed her way onto some of the accounts that donated to Helping Hands in order to spend more time with him. Unlike her younger sister, Sarah was determined to use not only her good looks but also her intelligence to snare her an Eaton. When Allison had complained, loudly, that she hadn’t been able to entice Tobias, Sarah had launched her own campaign to catch his eye. After all, Tobias was young, intelligent and clearly the future of Prior-Eaton and even though Marcus was still pretty attractive for an older man, it was clear to Sarah that Marcus, who went through women like socks, was no way to secure her place in the company. Sarah had every intention of making it to the top of both the financial and social scenes and Tobias Eaton was a far better choice to do it with.

The bartender set her martini glass in front of her with a wink. “You need anything else, just let me know.”

This time, Sarah shot him a small smile, allowing the attention to act like a balm to her bruised ego. There was no way Tris Prior was sexier than she was; Sarah was willing to put money on it. But she’d stood in the corner of that ballroom, her nails digging into her palms as she watched Tobias twirling Tris around the dance floor. They’d been smiling at each other, seemingly lost in each other as they danced. When Tris had quipped that they were sleeping together, Sarah had brushed it off, assuming Tris was being her usual obnoxious self. However, watching them out on the floor had put a worm of doubt into her mind and, at least to her, justified what she was doing now. Tris Prior was not going to get the best of her, Sarah decided. Tris hated the public spotlight and it was well known within Prior-Eaton that Tris did her best to stay out of it. _Well_ , Sarah thought, _we’ll just see about that._ Sipping her martini, Sarah glanced at her watch, wondering what was keeping her contact.

As if summoned on cue, her contact appeared, striding through the bar in a pair of skin-tight jeans, a cashmere sweater and high-heeled boots. Her dark, wavy hair bouncing down her back like a shampoo ad and her make-up picture-perfect, Nita Vargas looked more like a spoiled socialite than the ambitious gossip reporter for the online and print magazine, _Inside New York_. Nita pulled off her long, wool coat and slid into the seat next to Sarah. The bartender once again smiled his flirty smile and placed a napkin on the bar in front of Nita. “Tonight’s my lucky night,” he murmured. “What can I get you, sweetheart?”

Nita returned the flirty smile. “I’ll have a Cosmo, handsome,” she purred. He winked at her and turned to mix her drink. Nita looked over at Sarah.

“How was the event?”

Sarah munched on one of her two olives. “Mostly boring. I did send you a couple of interesting pictures.”

Nita flashed a bright smile as the bartender set the Cosmo down in front of her. She took a sip and regarded Sarah over the rim of the glass. “Yes, I saw. The most interesting was Tris Prior and Tobias Eaton. What was happening there?”

Stirring her drink with the remaining olive, Sarah shrugged. “Their parents made them come together. Neither were really thrilled about it, but they seemed to get along pretty well.”

“Hm. Are they seeing each other?”

“No,” Sarah scowled in her drink. “It was just for the one night.” She drained her glass, popping the last olive into her mouth.

Nita sipped her Cosmo, amused. Sarah had been a nice little funnel of information on Prior-Eaton and many of the people who were either employees or clients of theirs, but most of it was related to Marcus Eaton. Nita was well aware that Sarah’s dirt was helping to knock off other employees she saw as in her way, but Nita was digging for gold on the Eatons or Priors themselves. The Priors were disgustingly boring so she had been encouraging Sarah’s pursuit of Tobias, hoping for a bigger scoop, but Tobias had proven to be as elusive as he usually was. “I’m sure.”

Sarah slid off the bench, her movements slightly jerky from anger. Dealing with Nita annoyed her but the money she got for dropping tidbits of information, both financial and social gossip, was just too good. Sarah had no intention of staying a mid-level account executive at Prior-Eaton forever. If she couldn’t sleep her way there, she’d do whatever else it took. “I’m making progress with him.” She slid into her coat and pulled her purse over her shoulders. “By the way, I did overhear Evelyn Eaton in the bathroom. It seems Michael Corvobias may be ready to come out. He’s seeing some guy named Harold.”

Nita perked up. Michael Corvobias was heir to a huge timber fortune up in New Hampshire and was ridiculously influential on Wall Street. “You mean Harold Ealy?” she asked. Harold Ealy was the son of the chair of New York’s largest bank. There’d been some gossip floating around about Harold Ealy lately. In fact, Nita realized, Michael and Harold had been spotted at the same events recently. Announcing their relationship before they did would be one hell of a scoop.

Sarah shrugged. “Probably. Harold and Evelyn both serve on the board of directors for Fight for the Homeless, New York.” She smiled tightly. “Happy Thanksgiving,” she said, flipping her red hair out of the back of her coat and sauntering off.

A huge smile split Nita’s face as she drained the last of her Cosmo. Sarah’s news was going to make the front page of the magazine. _Happy Thanksgiving, indeed!_

5

Tobias shoved opened the door to his apartment, hauling Tris in with him and up against the door before closing it shut and devouring her mouth. Their hands tugged and pulled at their coats, pushing them off and onto the floor. Tris yanked off Tobias’ tie, throwing it over his shoulder and began attacking the buttons on his shirt while Tobias slid his hand up the thigh she’d lifted to wrap around him, teasing the elastic top of her thigh-high stockings. Tris groaned and Tobias continued pushing her dress above her waist, his fingers moving up and drawing her underwear to the side before sliding inside. In response, Tris threw her head back so hard that it thudded against the door, her hands moving inside his now open shirt to clutch his waist as she let out another low groan. Tobias allowed his fingers to vary their speed, sometimes pressing so hard she saw stars, other times so feather-light she strained for more. He accented his touches with sharp nips at her neck while her harsh breathing and moans filled the room. Just when she thought she’d caught his rhythm, he’d vary it up, keeping her on edge and poised to fall over the precipice.

“Tobias,” she whimpered.

His lips traveled up her neck to her ear. “Yes,” he whispered, his warm breath tickling her face.

“Please…”

He kissed his way back down to nibble on her exposed collarbone. “‘Please,’ what?” he asked against her skin. His fingers slid out of her and began rubbing ever so lightly on the bundle of nerves that had her shuddering in his arms. Licking his way back to her ear, he whispered, “What do you want, Tris?” All she could do was moan and he smiled to himself. He was already enjoying her, pushing her close to the edge but not letting her tumble over. He’d never been this turned on before, never wanted a woman to break apart under his hands so much before. “Tell me.”

Tris squeezed her eyes shut, barely able to think through the haze clouding her mind. “Please…make me come,” her voice cried out. Tobias leaned down and kissed her deeply while two then three fingers plunged inside her, seeking her pleasure. Tris grasped his shoulders, her hips moving in counterpoint to his. She was close, so close.

When she finally broke, her release was so high-pitched it was nearly a scream. Tobias rode her orgasm out, his fingers continuing to move until she sank back against the wall. The only thing holding her upright was his body crushing her against the door. After a moment, she opened her eyes to meet his burning, blue ones. They stared at each other for a moment, Tris stunned at how much he’d managed to make her feel with only his lips, fingers and words. Tobias was pressed against her, his shirt hung open to reveal his chiseled chest and abs. His pants were still on, but unbuttoned and unzipped. She could feel him, hard against her thigh and her lips stretched into a smile— _turnabout was fair play, after all._

“I think we need to move this into the bedroom,” Tris teased, pushing him off her gently. She kicked off her heels, unsteady now that he wasn’t pressing her against the door. When Tobias nodded his approval, she grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall. She glanced back over her shoulder, silently asking him where to go.

“Straight back, last room ahead,” his deep voice grumbled. When they entered the room, Tobias strode over to the bedside table, flipped on the lamp and pulled a handful of condoms from the drawer. When he straightened, Tris was just standing up, having pulled off her silky thigh-high stockings. She turned so her back was to him and whispered, “Unzip me?”

Tobias reached up and began pulling the zipper down, bending to trail his lips along her shoulders as he pushed her dress down to the floor. He started to slide his arms around her waist when Tris turned and unzipped his pants. “Your turn.” She pushed both his pants and boxers down but before he could reach for her again, she pushed him firmly on the chest, urging him to sit on the edge of the bed. Complying he sat and she moved to stand between his legs as she cupped his face in her hands. Tris lowered her lips to his, kissing him firmly—deeply, as he reached behind her to unclasp her bra. They parted for a moment to allow it to drop before Tris reclaimed his mouth. Tobias lost himself in the kiss—something that had never happened to him before—as all he could smell and taste was Tris. He was so caught up he barely felt her leaning him back. He opened his eyes to catch a wicked gleam in hers as she bent to kiss his neck while sliding her panties to the floor. She trailed her lips down over his collarbone and he nearly jumped out of his skin when her tongue gently rasped his nipple. He heard her answering chuckle as she continued her way down, her tongue tracing the ridges of his abdomen and across his hip until she was kneeling before him. Pushing himself up on his elbows, he began, “Tris…” but the rest of his words were swallowed up in a deep groan as she took him into her mouth.

Tobias felt his eyes roll back into his head. Tris was as single-minded in the pursuit of his pleasure as he had been in hers. Sensations completely overwhelmed him, leaving him with only impressions: the warmth of her mouth, the tight grip of her hands, the silk of her hair tickling his thighs coupled with the low throaty sounds she made. He felt as though he were sliding down a long, black tunnel of sensual heat that he knew he would not be able to hold off much longer. Sitting up abruptly, he grabbed her upper arms and pulled her up and over him. Taking advantage of her surprise, he flipped them around so that he was on top of her. Tris gasped, slightly disoriented by the speed with which he’d moved. She recovered quickly and twined one leg around Tobias’, running her foot up and down the back of his calf. “Get a condom,” she bit out, her voice tinged with urgency.

He nodded, thrilled to hear the same impatience in her voice that he felt surging through his veins. He lifted himself up so that he could reach for one of the foil packets on the bedside table. Tris rearranged herself fully on the bed and watched as he slid the condom over himself before holding out her hand to him. Drinking in her long legs stretched out for him up to her slim athletic figure, golden hair, and the mischievous smile playing around her lips, he decided she was the most erotic sight he’d ever beheld. Taking her hand, Tobias stretched himself on top of her, kissing her deeply. He reached for her other hand and twining their fingers together, stretched them over her head. Allowing instinct to guide him, Tobias plunged inside her.

Tris threw back her head and gasped loudly as he began slamming into her with strong, hard strokes. Her fingers tightened around his as she opened her legs wider, lifting her hips to meet him thrust for thrust. High, keening sounds came from her throat, but Tris was barely aware of them; she was so focused on the wave of sensations flooding her body. Each time Tobias pushed inside her, he rotated his hips, seeking out that one magical spot that made her lose all composure. Once he found it, he’d stop, pull out and rotate his hips before grinding into her again, sending sparks shooting across her every nerve. Tris tried to say something—to call his name, anything—but he’d stolen her breath and all she could do was hold on to the hands enveloping hers. The pressure she felt was so deeply intense, it bordered on pain; she wanted it to continue forever. Her chest heaved, her senses all poised on the knife’s edge when Tobias pulled back and slammed inside her once again. It was all the stimulation needed to shatter Tris apart—shards of sensual pleasure stabbing through her until all she knew was the hard pressure of his body on hers.

Tobias didn’t know how much longer he could control himself; Tris’ sinuous movements beneath him were pushing him to the brink. He released her hands so his could move down her body, greedily clutching her flesh until he reached her hips and tilted them upwards so he could bury himself even deeper inside her. Sharp pinpricks of pain permeated his consciousness and he dimly realized Tris was digging her fingers into his back as she clutched him to her. He moved faster, more fiercely, desperately chasing his own end to surrender himself fully to her. Gasping when he felt her inner muscles once again squeezing him, Tobias fell over the cliff—tumbling into an abyss of pleasure so deep he couldn’t imagine ever wanting to leave.

xXx

The red numbers on the clock next to the bed read 7:25 AM and Tris smiled. She’d awakened just a minute earlier and for a moment had a stab of panic because she’d spent the night somewhere other than her parents’ condo. She didn’t usually care if her parents knew she’d stayed out all night, but considering she’d spent last night in Tobias’ bed, it was best they were oblivious. It was early enough that she could still sneak back into the condo with no one the wiser as her parents and some of the other senior executives at Prior-Eaton had all planned on a small after-party at the lavish penthouse apartment the Eatons owned. Odds were they’d gotten home so late that her parents were still in bed.

Tris stretched, wincing a little. She hadn’t gotten much sleep and her body was sore all over, but she didn’t care. She and Tobias had made love over and over, the last time lazy and slow in their sleepy, half-awake state. Blinking, her tired brain realized that Tobias wasn’t there beside her in bed and she felt a momentary wave of disappointment. Shaking her head a little, she had to laugh at herself. There was probably no way either of them could possibly be up to making love again anyway, but still…Tris wouldn’t have minded trying. She slowly pushed herself up and glanced around the room, noticing her dress was draped over the back of a chair and her underwear neatly folded on the chair along with her purse. Swinging her legs over, she carefully slid out of bed and walked a bit gingerly over to the chair, rifling through her purse to find the pins she’d pulled out of her hair the night before at the whiskey bar. Bundling her hair up, she turned to make her way to the connected bathroom. Once inside, Tris found a clean towel and toothbrush on the edge of the counter. She laughed a little, impressed with Tobias’ forethought.

The warm shower did wonders to ease the ache from her body. Tobias had an amazing shower—the body jets and showerhead had water hitting her at every angle. She would have loved to dunk her head under that waterfall of water, but she didn’t have time to dry her hair. Padding back into the bedroom, Tris quickly dressed and headed out, her shoes in hand as she wasn’t quite up to slipping back into her high heels just yet. As she walked down the hall, she heard movement in the kitchen and—thank God—smelled coffee. Tobias was in the kitchen, stirring eggs in a bowl. He looked up in surprise when he sensed her presence and she smiled, dropping her purse onto an end table and her shoes on the floor beside it.

“Hey,” he said, putting the bowl down to walk over to her.

“Hey, yourself,” she returned, tilting her head up for his kiss. He brushed his lips across hers a couple of times, resisting the urge to deepen the kiss.

“Want coffee?”

“More than my next breath,” she laughed a little. She perched onto a bar stool as he went around the counter to pour her a mug. Tris admired the gleaming stainless-steel coffeemaker with its internal grinder. “Is that a grind and brew?”

“Yeah. I’m a bigger fan of tea than coffee, personally. So if I drink it, it had better be good.” He reached into the refrigerator to grab milk, putting it and a small bowl of sugar in front of her. As Tris doctored her coffee, Tobias turned back to the stove, pouring the beaten eggs into a hot skillet. “I figured you’d be hungry.”

Sipping her coffee, Tris watched him in amazement. First, he’d folded her clothes, left her a toothbrush and towel, and now was preparing her breakfast. She wasn’t sure which was more surprising, the fact that he was so thoughtful or that he actually knew how to cook.

Contemplating him, Tris realized Tobias was so much more than she’d thought and that made her nervous. He was almost too good to be true. He scrambled the eggs efficiently then neatly divided them onto two plates. Reaching into his breadbox, he pulled out a bag of croissants and added them to the plate. He turned to her with a grin, “Voila!”

Tris clapped lightly as he put the plate in front of her. “Bravo!” She took a bite of the eggs and her eyes snapped to his. “Hey, these are actually good!”

Tobias laughed, “I think I’m insulted.”

“Where did you learn to cook?”

“Here and there. I don’t like having lots of people around. I grew up with servants everywhere so when I got out on my own, I just wanted the place to myself.” Tris nodded sympathetically as they ate. She’d had the same upbringing with a live-in housekeeper, a cook and driver that came every day, and also a gardener; it was a whirlwind of people always around. Tobias met her eyes over his coffee, seeing that she could relate. “Anyway, since I didn’t want people around, I needed to learn how to take care of myself.”

Tris finished off her eggs. “Well, this was more than I’d hoped for,” she teased. “I would never have guessed you knew how to cook.”

Popping the last of his croissant into his mouth, he swallowed. “I’m constantly an enigma,” he returned, deadpan.

Tris laughed. He was so easy to be with—funny, intelligent and sexy. As much as she hated to admit it, she was actually glad her parents had pushed her into being with him at the gala. “Let me help you clean up.”

“Sure.” Taking their plates, Tris loaded the dishwasher while Tobias washed out the skillet. Drying his hands on a towel, he caught Tris’ eyes. They stared at each other, the sexy tension between them suddenly flaring to life once again. Tossing the towel on the counter, Tobias closed the distance between them, laying his hands on her shoulders. He pulled her to him, his head descending to hers as he kissed her—lightly at first then deepening it. Tris clutched his waist, pressing herself against him, feeling as though she’d been shot up with some powerful drug. As his arms tightened around her, Tris desperately pulled herself back from the brink. Nerves shot through her as she realized how easily she could pull him back into his bedroom and never come out again. With herculean effort, Tris pulled away from him. Taking a step back, she gave him a shaky smile. “I’ve got to get going.”

Tobias ordered himself to get his shit together. “Yeah, okay.” He followed her out of the kitchen, each of them battling the nearly irresistible desire to grab each other and hold on tight. Tobias opened the door for her and stood, his hand braced on it. “I had a great time, Tris,” he said quietly.

Tris nodded, staring into the most amazing, sapphire-blue eyes she’d ever seen. “I’ll see you around.” Leaning up on her tiptoes, she brushed her lips across his one last time. She walked to the elevator, trying not to look behind her, knowing he was still there watching her.

As the doors closed, she let her head lean back against the elevator wall—Tobias Eaton had rocked her world and Tris was afraid she would never be the same.

6

“I thought I was your best friend.”

Tris laughed a little at Christina’s dramatic statement. Dramatic statements were just part of Christina’s thing, though. “Of course you are!”

“Uh-huh. So why didn’t you tell me you hooked up with Tobias Eaton?”

Tris nearly dropped her cell phone as shock, followed by panic, raced through her. _How in the world did Christina find out?_ No one had seen them leave the hotel together, let alone followed them from the whiskey bar to Tobias’ apartment. She sincerely doubted he’d told anyone but maybe he’d mentioned it to Zeke. Zeke could have told Uriah, who could have told Chris...

“What are you talking about?” Tris asked, doing her best to sound lightly amused.

“You on your computer?”

“Yeah.”

“Go to Inside New York’s website.”

Tris minimized her word processor and maneuvered to her web browser. With a slightly shaky hand, she typed in the website, her mind racing. Why would one of the most notorious gossip sites in New York have anything about her and Tobias? Sure, they were technically part of the New York social scene thanks to their families and friends, but neither of them were married or even dating anyone interesting. So, why would any reporter be interested in the two of them? And how did they get the information? Did someone see them at the bar? She sincerely doubted Tobias would ever talk to a reporter.

When the website opened, Tris saw the headline, “Prior-Eaton Gala.” She clicked on the link and pictures from the gala popped up. Tris looked at each of them anxiously then breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the only picture of her and Tobias alone. “Oh, you mean this picture of me and Tobias?” She settled back and stared at the picture. It had been taken while they were dancing, Tobias holding her close, the two of them smiling at each other. They looked like they were enjoying themselves. Tris smiled, remembering his smooth baritone adding words to the instrumental version of Sinatra’s _I’ve Got You Under My Skin_.

“Uh, yeah! You didn’t tell me you went to the gala with him.”

“Oh that,” Tris laughed a little. “Our parents paired us up because Caleb and Susan were there together. It was just to balance it out and do the whole happy family thing. I didn’t really think of it because it wasn’t a big deal.” She was grateful that they were just talking over the phone. Christina knew her entirely too well and would have sensed the lie if they’d been face-to-face.

“Well, you sure seemed to be getting along according to that picture.”

“Yeah, it was actually fun. We hadn’t really spent any time together since we were kids and it was nice to finally reconnect as adults.”

“I told you he was hot!” Christina crowed. “Plus, he was always super chill whenever I was around him while Uri and I were…well, you know.”

Tris made a noncommittal noise as she’d never quite understood the strange, sporadic hook ups between Christina and Uriah. Christina and her long-time boyfriend, Will, seemed to break up every couple of years and then she and Uriah would get together for a few weeks before they’d move on again to other people—Christina usually back to Will. But somehow, they all managed to keep the vibe from being weird. Rather than dwell on something that had confounded her for years, Tris focused on the computer screen.

As she scanned the website, she began to wonder where the site managed to get these pictures. Looking at them closely, Tris realized they had all likely been taken from a cell phone and she sighed. There had been hundreds of people at the gala and nearly everyone had a cell phone, so there was no way to trace the pictures. She supposed it wasn’t a big deal; there was nothing scandalous contained in the article, just some gossipy copy about who was there and what they were wearing. She was distantly amused to see the picture of the Eatons and the Priors all standing together as Marcus had given his “family is everything” speech, thinking that he would actually be pleased by the publicity. However, she could see the faintly bored expression on Tobias’ face—one that matched hers—and knew he’d been zoning out as much as she had been.

“Are you going to see each other again?” Christina’s excited voice broke through Tris’ reverie.

“I’m sure we’ll run into each other again at a family function. He said his parents are pushing him to be more involved like mine are,” Tris said casually just as an image of Tobias beneath her as she rode him popped into her mind and she found herself squeezing her thighs together. She certainly wouldn’t mind sleeping with him again if the stars aligned. They hadn’t spoken to each other since Thanksgiving, but Tris was pretty sure he had been as impacted by that night as she had.

Tris could hear the sneer in Christina’s voice. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

Keeping her response light and breezy, Tris replied, “We live in different cities. Hell, in different countries sometimes! We’ll always run into each other, given our family ties, so it’s nice that we’ve become friends.” Christina snorted and Tris decided it would be best to move her onto another topic of conversation. “So, Will break up with the blonde yet?”

Christina launched into the latest exploits of her on and off relationship with Will, allowing Tris to sit back and relax. Glancing once again at the photo of herself in Tobias’ arms, Tris resolved to take advantage of the next time she found herself in Tobias Eaton’s presence again.

xXx

“So, how’d it go?” Uriah asked as he and Tobias rounded the track at their gym.

“What?”

“The dinner, man. The one with Tris?” Uriah shook his head a little.

“Oh, yeah, that.” Tobias had known that was what Uriah meant but he’d hoped to avoid the conversation. Tobias still wasn’t entirely sure of Uriah’s feelings towards Tris. “Good. You were right; she was cool about the whole thing. It was nice to have someone who felt the same way I did.” He figured that was noncommittal enough that Uri wouldn’t ask much more.

“Ha! I told you she was cool!”

“Yup, you did.” They jogged in companionable silence for a moment longer and slowed to a stop when they rounded the third mile. “So,” Tobias asked casually, “what’s the deal with her family? I got the sense there was a little bit of tension there. Not like my family’s tension, but something.”

Uriah nodded, bending over to stretch out. “Her folks keep pushing her to join the company—to get married.” He straightened and grinned. “You know, how that goes.”

“No, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Tobias deadpanned. They laughed together for a minute as they headed into the locker room. Stopping in front of their lockers, Uriah pulled out a towel and wiped the sweat off his face.

“But, seriously, you and Tris got along okay?”

Tobias pulled off his shirt, making sure he was facing the inside of his locker. “Yeah, we got along just fine,” _especially later on in my bed._

Uriah nodded, not noticing that Tobias was avoiding his gaze. “Good. She’s been stressing that her parents are going to push her to take a more public role in the company, so it would be great if she has a friendly ally.”

The idea that he might see Tris more often sent a thrill through Tobias. His night with her had been unforgettable and he realized that he wouldn’t mind being with her again. She was smart and sexy, two qualities that Tobias found irresistible. “I think it’s safe to say we’re friends,” he said carefully. He wasn’t at all sure how Uriah would react to his hooking up with Tris, so Tobias thought it best to steer clear of mentioning it. Besides, no matter how much he wanted a repeat of their sensual night together, he had no idea how she felt.

“Good!” Fastening the towel around his waist, Uriah clapping Tobias on the shoulder and headed to the shower. When Uriah was out of earshot, Tobias let out a deep breath he didn’t realize he had been holding onto.


	3. December

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening everyone! As I upload this, my house smells of gingerbread and eggnog. It has been a marathon cooking-baking weekend and I still have more to d0! Ah, the holiday season!  
> Once again, major shout-outs to my alpha/beta-supreme Eunice 339. I’ve said she deserves co-author credit on this because heavens knows it would not have been done without her.  
> Thank you all so much for your support for this story! I’ve had so many wonderful comments, I wish I could send cookies to all of you. In lieu of that, here’s the next chapter!

xXx

To an outsider looking in, the Eaton household appeared to be the picture of Christmas perfection with the warm glow of the fire crackling in the hearth and the multicolored lights blinking and glinting off the metallic wrapping paper and bows adorning the presents stacked under the tree. The woodsy scent of the huge, ornately decorated tree permeated the room, giving it that unmistakable scent of Christmas, while the house had long ago quieted down, everyone snug in their beds for the cold winter evening.

But Tobias knew better as he sat alone in a huge leather armchair, sipping on bourbon-spiked eggnog and watching the dancing flames in the fireplace. The feeling of Christmas had always carried with it a cynical edge for him. His family usually spent the week before the holiday together at their house in Connecticut, but it was all for appearances as his parents made their round of society parties, even hosting a huge one themselves on Christmas Eve. Marcus and Evelyn usually invited at least one other family to join them so they wouldn’t have to spend too much time in each other’s presence alone, which on the upside kept their sniping at one another to a minimum. That was, as far as Tobias was concerned, an annual Christmas miracle. He finished off the eggnog and put the glass down on the end table. He should be in bed, too, but he was having trouble sleeping, knowing that _she_ was right down the hall.

This year his parents had invited the Priors, including Tris, to spend Christmas with them since they were all heading up to Vermont for some post-holiday skiing. Having Tris so close was testing every ounce of self-control he had. He hadn’t been able to keep his mind off of her since their stolen night together at Thanksgiving, but since she’d arrived, she had been her usual self, no hint of the passion they’d shared that one, incredible night. Tobias had hoped she would call afterward but when she hadn’t, he tried to chalk it up to a whiskey-induced one-night stand, but it had felt like more than that. Clearly, though, it hadn’t to her.

Tobias heaved a huge sigh and tried to talk himself into getting up. He’d just have to get through tomorrow and the day after before everyone would head off—his parents and the Priors to Vermont and he back to New York. He stared at the fire, mustering the energy to move.

“Tobias?”

His head snapped up, surprised to see the object of his thoughts standing in the doorway. Her honey blonde hair tumbled around her shoulders as she tilted her head and looked at him. She wasn’t dressed particularly provocative in a dark green, oversized pajama shirt and matching robe that fell almost to her knees, her feet covered by soft slippers, but Tobias still felt his pulse leap at the sight of her.

Clearing his throat, he asked awkwardly, “What’re you doing up?”

With a low chuckle, she walked away from the doorway and settled herself in the armchair opposite his. She crossed her legs and stared at him, her upper leg swinging without thought, but catching his attention nonetheless. “I could ask you the same question.”

Tobias shifted uncomfortably in his chair; her gaze seemed to penetrate right through him. “Nothing. Just couldn’t sleep.”

“Hm, I know the feeling.” She glanced thoughtfully at the tree behind him. “I think this is one of the few times we’ve spent away from Chicago during the holidays. It feels a little weird.”

“I’m actually surprised your family decided to join us here this year.”

Tris shrugged. “Since this is the first Christmas without Grandpa, I think Dad wanted something different.” Her grandfather, William Prior, had died over the summer and Andrew had taken his loss pretty hard. The family compound outside of Chicago had been William’s domain, so it wasn’t terribly surprising that Andrew hadn’t been up to spending the first Christmas without his father there.

Tobias nodded. “I can understand that. Your grandfather was a force to be reckoned with.”

A fond smile touched Tris’ lips. “He was. No offense, but Christmas just doesn’t feel the same without him this year.”

Tobias held up both of his hands in surrender. “Believe me, no offense taken.”

Both of them chuckled for a moment at his response before falling into a companionable silence, each watching the play of the flames as the air grew thick with tension. Tris finally broke the silence. “I hope you don’t mind me sitting with you.”

Tobias jerked a little at the husky sound of her voice. An image of Tris, her head thrown back against the pillows and her fingers tangled in his hair as he ran his tongue along her soft inner thigh, drifted into his mind. He shook his head slightly. Her presence was destroying his peace of mind and since they seemed to be unable to bring up the topic of how they left things after Thanksgiving, he figured it was time to beat a hasty retreat.

“Of course not. In fact, I should be heading up.” He started to rise, but her soft voice stopped him once again.

“No, stay a little while. _Please._ ” That last soft entreaty brought back another memory of her writhing beneath him, begging him to slide inside her. Tobias’ pulse raced and he swallowed thickly. He should leave; he knew he should.

“Okay.” Cursing himself for a fool, he settled back into the chair, staring at the fire so that he wasn’t staring at the creamy flesh of her thigh exposed by her crossed legs.

“I hear you aren’t coming to Vermont with us.”

Tobias squirmed again under her watchful gaze. It felt like she was trying to read his mind, to discern exactly what he was thinking. “Um, no. I’m heading back to the city.”

“Hot New Year’s Eve date?” she teased, well aware of Tobias’ discomfort. Tris smiled to herself. She had wanted to get him alone since arriving in Connecticut, having promised herself that if she ever got the chance, she’d jump at the opportunity to repeat their Thanksgiving night together, but now she couldn’t help drawing out her seduction a little longer.

He looked up at her and their eyes locked. Tobias almost grinned at the fire he could see in her eyes. She was playing with him, he realized. Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to relax. _Two could play that game._

“No, not too hot.” He shrugged a little, wondering why he was telling her the truth. He should lie—let her think he’d be partying it up with some gorgeous babe—but as he stared into her eyes, he decided to paint a different picture for her. “Just me, a little jazz, and a twenty-year-old bottle of Scotch.”

At his words, Tris’ tongue immediately darted out to moisten her lips. She could just taste the smooth, smoky burn of the alcohol they’d shared while snuggled up together in a dimly lit booth in that jazz club. “Sounds tempting,” she replied playfully as memories of that first, passionate kiss invaded her mind.

“It’s my favorite way to relax.” Tobias let his voice drop an octave. “I think I might’ve mentioned that at Thanksgiving.”

“I remember,” she smirked, her fingers idly playing with the buttons running down the front of her pajama shirt.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes following her fingers. “Do you?”

Tris decided she didn’t want to play anymore and stood, dropping the robe to the chair. Her gray eyes twinkled in the firelight as she slowly unbuttoned the pajama shirt, letting it fall to the chair on top of her robe before she took the last few steps that finally closed the distance between them. “I also remember showing you there was a better way to relax.”

Tobias stood up, cupping her face with his hands. “I definitely remember that,” he responded before lowering his lips and lightly brushing them across hers. Tris reached up and grabbed his biceps, urging his lips into stronger contact with hers. Obliging, Tobias pressed his lips firmly to hers, taking the kiss from teasing to molten hot in just a second.

Tris stepped closer, pressing herself to him, loving the contrast of his jeans and sweater against her naked flesh. They broke the kiss, gasping for breath. “I’ve been dying to do that all day,” she murmured.

“Couldn’t tell by me,” he teased. “I thought you’d forgotten all about it.”

She shook her head, impatiently urging his sweater up over his chest, helping him pull it off before throwing it onto the floor. “I didn’t want our families to know,” she confessed. Running her hands over his strong, defined pecs, she looked up into his eyes. “I want this to be for us, just us.”

Tobias nodded in understanding. So much of their families’ lives were conducted in public, something neither of them particularly cared for. And he had to admit he was feeling greedy where Tris was concerned. He didn’t mind at all keeping the incredible pleasure he felt with her all to themselves. He urged her back to the chair and gently pushed her down so she was sitting on top of her discarded robe and pajamas. He knelt before her, his lips running down her neck to her chest. Taking one nipple in his mouth, he ran his tongue around it, tugging it gently between his lips. Tris groaned, arching her back to urge more of her breast into his mouth. Tobias suckled for a moment before trailing over to her other breast to repeat the process.

Tris tangled her hands in his dark, silky hair, holding his head to her chest. Electricity was sparking through her body, following the pathway of his lips. She couldn’t believe she’d held out this long; she’d wanted to jump him the second she saw him again. When her parents told her they’d be spending the holidays with the Eatons, Tris had thought of nothing else but that incredible night with Tobias and realized how much she wanted to repeat it again.

Tobias’ hands slid up her thighs to grasp her hips, urging them towards the edge of the chair. He kissed his way down her body, licking the sensitive spots while his stubble grazed her delicate flesh. He glanced up to find her watching him, her gray eyes narrowed to slits of pleasure. He gave her a wink then buried his head into her warmth.

Tris gasped, her hips surging up to meet his questing tongue. She bit down on her bottom lip, holding onto the loud moan that threatened to escape. She doubted anyone upstairs or in the servants’ wing on the other side of the house could hear her, but she didn’t want to take any chances. There was no way in the world she was going to let him stop now. Her chest heaved, her breaths coming in short little pants as he concentrated on her, rediscovering every spot that made her quake and moan. Afraid she’d rip his hair out by the roots, Tris moved her hands to grip the arms of the chair, digging her fingers into the soft upholstery when she exploded, only allowing the sounds of her pleasure to escape out in a few high pitched moans.

When her shaking stopped, Tobias stood, his own body trembling with tension. He pulled her up and into his arms, kissing her deeply. Desperately, Tris pushed his slacks and boxers down his hips while Tobias buried his hands in her hair as they changed places. Tris pushed him down onto the chair and straddled him. She was about to lower herself down, when he stopped her short.

“Fuck, Tris, I don’t have a condom with me.” Frustration lined his face.

Tris tilted her head for a moment and stared at him. “Have you been with anyone since me?”

Tobias frowned, slightly confused. “No. Why?”

She leaned forward and kissed him. “Neither have I and I’m on the pill. More importantly, I’m clean.”

He pushed her hair away from her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. His dark blue eyes peered into hers seriously. “Me, too, but…are you sure?”

In answer, Tris reached down and grasped him firmly in her hand. She rubbed him against her opening, both of them whimpering at the sensation. “Absolutely,” she said, realizing her meaning carried over to more than just the present situation. She wanted to know if Thanksgiving had been an aberration—whether she’d exaggerated the passion between them—but now she realized that, if anything, she’d downplayed it. Being with him stirred sensations in her she’d never felt before, exciting her in a way no other man ever had. That kind of passion clearly couldn’t be contained to just one night.

Without another word, Tobias cupped the back of her head and pulled her down for a kiss as he pushed up into her. They swallowed each other’s moans as he buried himself deep inside her, enjoying the sensation. She was warm, welcoming and Tobias realized he’d never, ever felt anything as good as Tris wrapped around him. He barely contained a shout as Tris shifted and grasped his shoulders, allowing herself purchase to move up and down, riding him slowly at first, then with increasing urgency.

Tobias braced her lower back as Tris leaned back, desperate to feel him as deeply inside her as possible. How they managed to stay quiet, he’d never know, as the pleasure was so monumental, he wanted to shout his voice raw. Forcing himself to concentrate on the movement of her body, he tried to judge how close she was to the edge. He wanted to make her come again, but she was so tight, so hot, he was barely holding on to his control. The fingers of one hand tightened on her hip as his other hand worked its way between them and he stroked her with his thumb.

Tris gasped out in ecstasy, her muscles becoming impossibly tight around him as she squeezed his shoulders so hard, she thought she’d leave bruises. Moments later, waves of unrelenting pleasure washed over Tobias in a tsunami of sensation. He grunted; his eyes squeezed shut as his body shook against hers until he was empty. Hollowed out, he let his head thud back against the back of the chair. Tris buried her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder as they both attempted to catch their breaths.

The crackling fire was the only sound in the room besides their harsh breathing. After several long moments, Tris raised her head and kissed him. Their lips moved together languidly, passion now sated. Tobias’ hands ran lovingly up and down her back as she raised her head to look at him.

“You are amazing,” she whispered.

Tobias brushed her hair behind her ear. “I wish you weren’t going to Vermont.”

Tris nodded. “I know, me too. But—” she brushed her lips slowly across his, unable to stop herself from teasing him again, “I’m actually leaving a few days early. I was supposed to be spending New Year’s in New York with Christina but she had to back out for family stuff so now I find myself without any plans.”

“Then come spend them with me,” he urged. “We’ll stay in my apartment. We won’t even have to get dressed.”

Tris laughed lightly, the movements making him groan. “Wow, that’s the best offer I’ve gotten for New Year’s yet.”

“So, is that a ‘yes’ or am I going to need to tickle it out of you?” he held his hands up, hovering them just along her sides, waiting to deliver on his threat.

“Yes!” she responded without hesitation, trying to prevent his hands from tickling her, but a fit of giggles escaped anyway, to her surprise. Tris didn’t consider herself a giggler but this man had her doing things she wasn’t used to.

Tobias reached up and hugged her to him, not quite surprised at the happiness settling deep in his heart. He didn’t know what was ahead for them, but he knew that he’d never felt this way with anyone and he wasn’t ready to give it up. This was turning out to be a perfect Christmas after all. “Merry Christmas, Tris.”

She ran her fingers along his jaw line, her giggles dying down and her expression softening. “Merry Christmas, Tobias.”


	4. New Year's Eve 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I hope everyone is having a happy holiday! I know this is a little early in time but if I made y'all wait, I think that would be mean haha. Hope you enjoy this and stay safe everyone! :-)

8

_Change of plans. Susan came back early and is in New York, so Caleb is coming with me to the city now. Plan B?_

Tris nibbled on her bottom lip as she sent the text message off to Tobias. Glancing at the door to the rented Vermont chalet, she willed Caleb to stay inside just a little bit longer. Caleb’s surprise announcement to her this morning had totally thrown all of her New Year’s plans with Tobias out the window, but she couldn’t say no to Caleb. Telling him she didn’t want him to come back to the city with her would only invite questions that she wasn’t ready to answer yet. She and Tobias had agreed to keep things quiet for now, to see where this was headed without the interference of their family or friends.

Her phone beeped and she eagerly opened the text.

_Why don’t we meet at the Pedrad party? Zeke and Uri bugging the shit out of me about my NYE plans anyway. This’ll keep them off my back and your brother off yours._

Tris grinned at his brilliance. Zeke was infamous for his parties and since she and Uriah have been friends since college and Tobias and Zeke since high school, no one would think anything of it if she and Tobias were both spotted at their party, especially since there would most likely be press there too.

_Great idea! I gave Susan and Caleb my hotel room. Told them I was going to stay at Christina’s. He’s leaving for Toronto with Susan day after tomorrow so he won’t know I’m staying with you._

Tris glanced up this time to see Caleb coming out of the house just as her phone pinged with another incoming message.

_Good. Can’t wait to see you…preferably without clothes._

“What’s with the grin?” Caleb asked as he slid into the back of the limo next to Tris. The car pulled out smoothly as Tris was making herself comfortable for the five-hour drive back to the city.

“Nothing, just texting Christina.”

Caleb nodded absently, pulling a tablet out of his backpack. “Listen, are you sure you want to give us your hotel room?”

Tris nodded. “Sure,” she said casually. “It’ll be impossible for you two to get one now and Christina said I could crash at her place. I have a key.” Tris silently blessed her best friend for the open-ended invitation. It provided the perfect cover.

“Sorry she decided to stay in LA. Susan and I can change our plans if you want so you won’t have to be stuck in New York by yourself.”

Tris laughed lightly. “I’ll hardly be by myself. I do know people in the city, you know. I’ll be fine. Maybe do some shopping and have lunch with a few friends. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” Caleb looked relieved. He was anxious to see Susan again, but if his sister had really minded, he would’ve changed his plans.

Leaning her head back against the seat, Tris closed her eyes. “Oh, I’m positive.”

xXx

Tris stared at herself critically in Christina’s full-length mirror. The ice blue, strapless, sheath dress fit her like a second skin, ending just below her knees. She’d left her honey blonde hair free to fall past her shoulders in a golden waterfall.

“You look incredible!” Christina exclaimed from the computer. Tris shot the laptop a grin over her shoulder. She’d Skyped Christina in for her fashion opinion since Christina had been the one to talk her into buying the dress in the first place.

“Excellent,” Tris said. She picked up the diamond chandelier earrings and held them up to the computer for Christina’s inspection. “What do you think of me wearing these rather than a necklace?”

“Good choice,” Christina nodded. “So, I know you’re going to Zeke’s, but why all the nerves about what you’re wearing?”

Tris fastened the earrings to her ears, enjoying the way they just brushed the bottom curve of her neck. “I just want to look good.”

“Uh-huh. _But why?_ ” Christina prompted, trying to stare down her best friend through the computer screen. “You only ever want my opinion when it’s important. So, the question is, why is this party any different than the others?”

Grateful that Christina was interrogating her through a computer rather than in person, Tris shrugged. Seizing on an excuse she knew Christina would buy, she said, “I told you Susan and her family came to the city so Robert will probably be there. Even though we broke up a while ago, I want to look good. You know?”

Christina nodded. “Yeah, you always want to look good for an ex.” On-screen, she raised an eyebrow as she studied Tris’ face. “I’m not convinced that’s all there is, but I’ll accept it for now.” After all, they both knew that whenever Christina and Will saw each other during an off period, Christina made sure she was always dressed to kill.

Laughing, Tris freshened up her lip-gloss. “Well, you’re not here so I guess you’ll never know, will you?” she teased as Christina scowled. Christina had planned to be in New York for the festivities, but at the last minute, her father, rock legend David Preston, had decided to announce he’d be hosting his annual New Year’s Eve television special with both his wife and daughter.

“I can’t believe I let Mom and Dad talk me into this. But Mom thought it would be a great way to pump both her new men’s and women’s lines. We’ll be in coordinating outfits.” Christina rolled her eyes, but her affection for her mother was clear. Stephanie Emeka-Preston was a model turned fashion designer who’d launched her own clothing line ten years ago to unqualified success and overnight became one of the most sought-after fashion designers in LA.

“You’ll have fun,” Tris assured her.

“Probably.” Christina’s pout disappeared. “Hey, if you see Uriah, tell him ‘hi’ for me.”

Now it was Tris’ turn to roll her eyes. Secretly, Tris thought Uri and Chris, both friends of hers since college, would be great together, but so far they hadn’t gone beyond the casual fling. “Sure thing, Chris.”

“You seriously look terrific. If Robert doesn’t jump you on sight, he’s a moron.” Christina blew a kiss at Tris’ laugh and signed off.

Giving herself one last glance, Tris slid into her sky-high, silver heels and buckled the slim strap around her ankle. She packed her tablet and throwing a black cashmere wrap over her arm, left the apartment, suitcase in tow.

“Good evening, Miss Prior. Can I get you a cab?” The smiling concierge greeted her while reaching for the two-way radio.

“Yes, and can you have my suitcase delivered to this address?” Tris reached into her small clutch purse and handed him a slip of paper with Tobias’ address on it. “You can leave it with the concierge. He’ll see that it gets to the correct condo.”

“My pleasure,” he said, taking the suitcase and slip of paper before he spoke into the radio, asking the doorman to hail a cab. “Enjoy your evening.”

Tris flashed him a smile and handed him a tip before she strode out eagerly into the chilly night and climbed into the cab.

xXx

The party was in full swing by the time Tobias arrived at Zeke’s house. He’d been delayed as he had his cleaning service come to his condo sooner than usual to make sure everything looked perfect for his night with Tris. After changing the sheets on his bed, he couldn’t help but laugh to himself. He’d never been this anxious to see a woman before and the realization amused him.

As expected, the place was packed. He made his way through the crowds, smiling at people he knew and briefly greeting others as he made his way over to the bar. Tobias wasn’t a social animal, parties weren’t a big thing for him, but he could play the game; it had been forced upon him since he was a kid. Marcus and Evelyn had insisted their only son be visible, especially at their social functions, throughout his childhood. And as much as he hated it, he could move smoothly through this world without question.

Nothing had given him more pleasure, though, than to bury himself in his studies when he’d entered Oxford. Away from his parents and their unrelenting social pressures, he’d played rugby, studied economics and computers, and enjoyed his college years in relative anonymity.

Once he reached the bar, he ordered a Jack and Coke, more to have something in his hand as he mingled than for any real desire to drink. He wanted to be clear-headed tonight. His eyes scanned the room for Tris, but came up empty. He did, however, spy Zeke holding court on his couch with his girlfriend, make-up artist Shauna Rodriguez, perched on the armrest next to him. Tobias made his way through the crowd toward them.

“Are you ever not surrounded by people?” he teased Zeke as he got closer.

Grinning, Zeke jumped up and pulled him in for a half-hug and slap on the back. “There you are, you fucking hermit! I thought you were going to ditch us again!”

Tobias shook his head, grinning. “I’d never hear the end of it.”

“Of course not,” Shauna teased, standing to kiss his cheek. Her mass of brown, blue and magenta braids streamed halfway down her back, matching perfectly with the colors of the flowery tattoo running alongside her neck. “We’re glad you came.”

“I only came because you asked, not him,” Tobias teased, kissing her cheek back as Zeke rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, man. What could you possibly have better to do on New Year’s Eve than to hang with us?”

Tobias smirked, knowing his plans for later on in the evening would definitely be much better than hanging with his best friend and drinking whiskey. As Shauna and Zeke chatted with those around them, Tobias’ eyes scanned the crowd of people again. There were plenty milling around, drinks and hors d’oeuvres in hand, while an entire group gyrated on a makeshift dance floor near the DJ.

That’s when he spotted her. Tris was dancing with her friends, Marlene and Lynn, both members of the all-girl rock band, Schoolgirl Punk. Tobias gulped down his drink, his mouth suddenly dry at the sight of Tris in her skin-tight dress, the slightly metallic fabric catching the light and highlighting every sinuous movement of her body. She was laughing, her honey blonde hair falling in loose waves around her face while sparkly earrings just brushed the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Tobias knew that spot well, knew how much she loved it when he kissed her there.

_‘It’s getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes,’_ the music pumped out, echoing his exact thoughts at the moment, as Tobias took in a deep breath. He was dying to get Tris alone again. The anticipation of this, their first planned meeting, had kept him on edge all week and now she was here, so close he could touch her.

Just then, Tris looked up and caught his eye. A slight smile curved up her shiny, pink lips and with her eyes held onto his, she raised her arms overhead and put a little extra swing in her hips. Raising his glass, Tobias drained it then licked his lips as though savoring the smoky flavor. Tris’ step faltered, ever so slightly, but he noticed and smirked. Tris challenged him back by sliding her hands down her body to her hips, resting them on the front of her thighs as she mouthed to the music, ‘ _I wanna take my clothes off_.’

Tobias leaned forward as if to take a step towards her, but caught himself. If they were going to keep things under wraps, he’d have to hold off on approaching her now. Giving her a wink, he turned his attention back to Shauna and Zeke and tried desperately to keep his mind off the gorgeous blonde on the dance floor.

Tris grinned as she turned back to Marlene and Lynn. Lynn gave her a look and leaned over to yell at her over the music, “Who are you making goo-goo eyes with?” But before Tris could answer, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist. “Me!” Uriah yelled, hugging Tris tightly. With a laugh, she turned around and threw her arms around him. “Uri! When did you get here?”

“About twenty minutes ago. Took me a sec to work my way over to you gorgeous ladies.” He pressed a kiss to Tris’ cheek and then to Marlene and Lynn too, who each giggled and rolled their eyes at Uriah respectively.

Throwing his arm around Tris’ shoulders, he grinned at them and said, “New Year’s Eve calls for shots!” He began leading them over to the bar.

“Tequila!” Lynn yelled and eyed the bartender who nodded with a laugh.

“Oh, God, not tequila!” Tris moaned.

Lynn wiggled her eyebrows as the bartender set four shots, a bowl of limes and a shaker of salt on the makeshift bar. “Come on, this was our drink of choice at Princeton!”

“Yeah, I remember—barely,” Tris said wryly but reached for the saltshaker anyway. After sprinkling it on the back of her hand, she passed it off and once all four of them had sprinkled salt on their hands, they lifted their shots and called out in unison, “Cheers!” before licking their hands and downing the tequila; Marlene squealed, Lynn and Uriah yelled and Tris groaned as they each reached for lime slices.

The bartender chuckled at them “Another round?” he asked.

“No,” Tris said at the same time that Uriah said, “Hell, yeah!”

Tris shook her head. “Nope, I’m out. I am not getting sucked into another tequila shooting contest with you all!”

“Aw, come on, Tris,” Uriah whined, bumping his shoulder against Tris’. “We can do body shots,” he wiggled his eyebrows at her. Marlene laughed and even Lynn snorted.

“Yeah, you wish,” Tris laughed. “I’m switching. Champagne, please?” she asked the bartender, who nodded.

Marlene suddenly gasped and grabbed Lynn’s arm. “Ow, Mar, Jesus.” Lynn grumped.

“Isn’t that Ari Baker? The producer?” Marlene asked pointing to the tall man standing at the entrance, seemingly looking around for someone. Lynn’s head snapped around and gasped. “Oh my God, it is! Let’s go. Later, you two.” She grabbed Marlene’s hand and they made their way through the crowd.

Tris turned to Uriah just as he nodded in acknowledgement towards Ari and pointed out Lynn and Marlene making a beeline for him. Her eyes were amused as she sipped her champagne. “Was that you’re doing?” she asked.

Uriah grinned and downed his next tequila shot. “He just hired my firm and I may have mentioned that I had some friends who were incredible rock musicians that would be here tonight. He was intrigued, so I invited him. Might not come to anything, but it gives them a shot. He’s arranging a tour of up-and-coming bands later in the summer so,” he shrugged, “maybe it’ll work.”

Tris lifted up on her toes and brushed her lips across Uriah’s cheek. “You’re a sweetheart, Uri.”

“Aww shucks…” he chuckled. The music changed to Mary J. Blige and Uriah whooped. “Aw, yeah! Come on, girl!” He grabbed Tris’ hand and led her back to the dance floor, both of them giggling like mad.

As she danced with Uriah, Tris glanced over his shoulder to see Tobias talking animatedly with one of Zeke’s fellow football players. She caught his eye and grinned at him, swaying her body closer to Uriah, her eyes dancing with amusement. Tobias chuckled and shook his head at her.


	5. NY Eve Pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very Merry Christmas for those of you who celebrate! I hope you enjoy this surprise chapter as a gift for this very unusual holiday season. I know things have been weird, but I hope you have found moments of joy this year. The happiest of holidays and I hope your New Year’s Eve is as eventful as the one here! ;-)

xXx

They circled each other for another hour and a half, each hyper aware of where the other one was, but never approaching. As midnight drew nearer, someone turned on Zeke’s huge, wall-mounted television so they could watch the ball drop in Times Square. Tris looked up to see Tobias moving to a relatively quiet corner of the room, apart from everyone else. He tilted his head slightly and she nodded. As the crowd gathered near the TV, Tris made her way to the corner where she’d spied Tobias.

“All right, everybody, we have less than two minutes until the New Year so grab that special someone!” The DJ’s voice boomed over the crowd and people began pairing off as they watched the glittering ball begin its descent. Tobias slid his arms around Tris’ waist and she snaked hers around his neck.

“Hi.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been driving me fucking nuts all night and all you have to say is ‘hi’?” he teased.

Tris’ laugh was low, more a vibration than a sound. “I’ve been dying to get next to you all night. Better?”

Tobias’ response was a low growl. He glanced over her shoulder. “I get to kiss you in less than 30 seconds.”

She twisted the curls at the nape of his neck around her finger. “Mmm, 20 now.” He nodded staring into her gray eyes, enjoying the heat of her body next to his.

“Ten,” she whispered.

“Nine,” he returned.

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

“Six.” She licked her lips, her eyes glued to his.

“Five.”

“Four.” She let out a breath as he grasped her hips and pulled them flush against him.

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One,” he murmured, capturing her lips with his. They didn’t notice the commotion behind them, the confetti, which had been released and was now fluttering around the revelers. People began singing “Auld Lang Syne” as Tobias raised his head, his lips hovering inches from hers. “Tris,” he whispered almost in pain.

“We need to get the hell out of here,” she added lowly, her voice rich with want.

“You read my mind,” he replied and slid his hands down her body to tangle his fingers with hers. They quickly made their way through the crowd towards the door. Tris slipped out while Tobias took their coat check tickets to the valet, who retrieved them from the extra bedroom where the guests had put their belongings earlier. In the elevator, they kept their eyes on each other as they bundled up. He led her out of the building where a line of cabs were waiting. As they slid into one, Tobias rattled off his address to the cabbie.

“Did you have your things sent to my place?” he asked, tracing his fingers over her hand.

She bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Yeah. Christina’s doorman said he’d take care of it.”

“When is she due back?” His fingers were lightly tracing shapes over her hand; the barely-there sensation setting off sparks of electricity along her skin.

“Um, on the second,” she stammered, finding it difficult to concentrate with him touching her so softly. “The same day as my parents.”

He leaned forward, his lips just a breath away from her ear. “Good, then I have one whole day to memorize every inch of your body.”

“Tobias,” Tris choked out, turning her head to seek his lips, but Tobias only brushed his lips past hers, a feather light touch that drove her crazy.

“We’re here,” he said, his breath a caress over her lips. Tris let out a moan as the cab stopped and she realized he’d leaned forward to run his credit card through the card reader. After adding a generous tip for getting them home so fast, he stepped out of the car, taking Tris’ hand to help her out. Tris shivered, but it had nothing to do with the frigid New York air. She took heart in the fact that his hand was also trembling in hers.

They didn’t speak as they made their way up the elevator to Tobias’ twentieth floor condo. He opened the door and flipped on the light. Helping her out of her coat, he shed his as well and turned to the closet to hang them up as she moved over to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Tris looked out at the twinkling lights of the city, already loving the feel of his home. She heard him come up behind her and place his warm hands on her shoulders. “I love your view,” she murmured.

He bent down and brushed his lips over the creamy expanse of skin offered by her strapless dress. “And, I love _your_ view.”

Smiling, Tris turned, resting her hands on Tobias’ snowy white shirt, feeling the hard, hot body beneath it. His strong hand glided up her back to grasp the nape of her neck, holding her still while he bent his head and kissed her deeply. Tris made a small sound of satisfaction from the back of her throat, opening her mouth to invite him in further. They kissed for a long, languid moment, their lips and tongues sliding against each other and slowly ratcheting up their desire. Tris grasped Tobias’ tie, pulling him backwards with her as they sank into his black, leather sectional couch together. Tris curled up on the chaise, loosening his tie and sliding it out from around his neck, tossing it onto the ground.

Tobias’ eyes stayed on Tris’ as he reached for the silvery buckle of her shoes and pulled them off then ran his lips softly along the nape of her neck. Tris leaned her head back and finding the juncture between her neck and shoulder, Tobias nibbled at the very spot he’d wished for earlier in the evening, smiling as he felt Tris’ sudden intake in breath. His slight stubble rasped along her vulnerable skin, making Tris shiver with agonizing pleasure before she grasped the lapels of his jacket and forced it off his shoulders. Leaning back slightly, Tobias dropped it to the floor then returned to capture her lips with his while running his hand up her thigh, over her bottom, and to her back where he found the zipper of her dress and lowered it slowly while she began unbuttoning his shirt too.

Once her zipper was completely lowered, Tris swung her legs off the chaise and stood. Tobias looked up at her, his deep blue eyes burning into her as she let the dress drop, revealing the strapless, white bra and matching string bikini underneath. She loved the look of appreciation in his eyes and the golden skin of his muscular chest framed by the white shirt. Holding onto his shoulders for support, Tris allowed Tobias to roll the thigh high stockings down her legs before stepping out of them and lowering herself back onto the chaise. She grasped the front ends of Tobias’ shirt to pull him down on top of her and ran her tongue along his throat, loving the deep moan he gave as she licked him. Impatiently, Tobias pulled his shirt off letting her mouth roam freely over his chest.

They hadn’t spoken; words were unnecessary as the desire between them burned white hot. Their movements sped up as they finished undressing each other, his pants joining the pile on the floor, her bra flying behind the couch, panties and boxer briefs disappearing over the side. Tobias flattened himself on top of Tris but stopped briefly, staring into her eyes before grasping her thigh and moving himself between her legs. Tris cupped his cheek in her hand and meeting his gaze, she forced her eyes to stay open, to stay locked on his, as Tobias slid silkily inside her.

They moaned in unison, the intensity of their connection overwhelming each of them. Tris gasped for breath as he slid out slowly then back inside just as slowly. She writhed beneath him as he moved, dying for him to speed up, to pound into her. But Tobias was just as anxious to draw this out, to savor every inch of her. When she arched her back, hoping to encourage him to move faster, he took the stiffened tip of her breast in his mouth causing Tris to cry out, her hands burying themselves in his soft, brown curls while his tongue swirled around one nipple before switching to the other.

He was trying to drive her crazy, she was convinced. Determined to get a little of her own back, Tris squeezed her inner muscles and was rewarded with a deep groan from him. She let her hands wander down his backside and when he couldn’t resist it any longer, began moving faster. Tris ran her lips down his neck before he elevated himself to pound harder inside her. She let her head fall back, squeezing his biceps. The pressure was building inside her with every stroke and she wondered how much more she could take. He pulled her legs higher up on his waist, changing the angle as they strained against each other, until Tris became aware of a high keening sound and was surprised to realize it was coming from her.

Tobias was shaking from the effort to hold on, to wait for her to unravel around him. Shifting his weight to one side, he reached between them where his fingers found and pressed hard against her arousal. Tris let out a cry as she flew over the edge, engulfed in a pleasure so intense it almost hurt. She heard Tobias groan deeply, his body locked against hers as he followed.

They held each other for a moment before Tobias’ strength gave out and he collapsed on top of her. Gasping for breath, Tris’ legs slid from around his waist as they lay together. After a moment, he slid off her, moving to the side so he could drape her across his chest. Reaching up, he tucked a damp strand of her hair behind her ear.

“This is the best start to the New Year I’ve ever had,” he said, his heart still racing beneath her ear.

Tris laughed and raised her head, running her fingers over his soft lips. “Mine, too.”

“You know, they say that whatever you’re doing at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve or on New Year’s Day is what you’ll be doing for the rest of the year.” His eyes twinkled as he smirked at her.

“Well then, Happy New Year to us.” She leaned forward and kissed him again.

xXx

Tris drifted awake, opening her eyes to Tobias’ sun-drenched bedroom. They’d clearly forgotten to close the drapes last night, but then again they hadn’t noticed much of anything when they staggered into his bed. She stretched, her back brushing against the warm body behind her. Strong arms banded around her waist and her eyes drifted shut again as he pulled her flush against him. She grumbled good-naturedly as his scruffy stubble abraded her soft skin, but the slight irritation faded as his lips pressed gentle kisses along her neck.

Her cell phone rang.

_Hey Tris, it’s Caleb. Susan and I are leaving tomorrow night for Toronto and wanted to see if we could all get together for breakfast or lunch before we go. Give us a call!_

Tobias’ teeth nipped at her earlobe and Tris pushed her back into his hips, wiggling a little teasingly. His chuckle was muffled against her skin and he trailed his fingers lightly up her torso to her breast in response.

His phone pinged with a text.

_Zeke: Dude, where the hell did you disappear to last night? We looked up after the ball dropped and you just poofed! Hit me back._

Tobias cupped her breast, nimble fingers tweaking her nipple. Tris gave a little moan and tilted her head back, encouraging the nibbling kisses he dropped along her neck. She rubbed her legs against his.

Her phone pinged with a text.

_Christina: Hey, girl! Happy New Year! How’d it go last night at the party? Did Robert swallow his tongue when he saw you? Since you’re not answering, I’m hoping for a happy ending! ;-)_

Tobias’ hand wandered down her body to her hips. Tris draped her leg back over his, opening herself to him. Taking the invitation, Tobias’ fingers quickly found her and began to work their magic. Tris gasped, her hips arching into his hand.

His phone rang.

_Good morning, son. Your mother and I are coming back to the city tomorrow. We expect to see you before she leaves for France. We will call with definite plans._

Tris’ hips moved in time with his questing fingers, her hand snaking up to tangle in his hair, urging his lips down to hers. Tobias captured her mouth, kissing her deeply while his fingers danced over her, then within her, slowly stoking her until she gasped against his lips as waves of pleasure washed over her.

Her phone rang.

_Hi Beatrice, it’s mom. Happy New Year! Your dad and I are headed back tomorrow with the Eatons. We talked to Caleb and he suggested we all get together for lunch before he and Susan leave. I hope you had a good time at your party. Love you!_

Releasing her mouth, Tobias moved over her, covering her body with his. She smiled and arched her hips, welcoming him as he slid inside her. She twined her fingers in his hair, pressing her breasts into his chest as his lips trailed down her neck, tonguing her collarbone. Every thrust sent her head spinning and he, in turn, groaned against her skin when she raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist tightly.

They hadn’t stopped when their phones rang nor the text messages pinged. They paid no attention to the cheerful morning outside the window. There was nothing but the two of them, nothing but the pleasure they brought to each other. The entire world had narrowed to just Tris and Tobias and neither of them cared about anything else. There was no sweeter music to his ears than her soft, throaty moans; no better taste than the slight salt on her soft skin. Nothing had ever felt as good to her as the flex of his muscles beneath her grasping fingers; nothing looked as erotic as the concentrated pleasure on his face. They groaned together as the bright white of the sunshine was eclipsed by the more blinding pleasure when they reached their peaks together.

Tobias slid down her body, resting his head on her breasts, his arms wrapped around her waist. He listened to the galloping of her heart, knowing it matched his. Taking a deep breath, he realized that he had no idea how he was going to ever let her go now. He smiled, feeling her hands run through his hair, her nails scratching lightly against his scalp.

“Our phones rang,” she murmured, making no move to get up.

“Yeah.” He rubbed his stubbly cheek against her breast, making her half chuckle, half grumble. Raising his head, he noted the sleepy satisfaction in her gray eyes. “I guess the real world is going to intrude whether we want it to or not.”

Tris nodded, tracing his lips with her fingers. “I don’t want it to,” she confessed.

“Me neither.” He paused, considering his words carefully. “When can I see you again?”

“I’m heading back to Chicago in a couple of weeks. Could you meet me there?”

Tobias frowned, “Unfortunately, no. I’m in Malaysia until the beginning of February.”

“Malaysia?” Tris was surprised.

“Yeah. Prior-Eaton is donating one of their boats for a month to assist victims of the earthquake. I volunteered to go and oversee things,” he said absently, not noticing the admiration in Tris’ gaze. “What about in February?”

“I’ll be at a fashion show with Christina in February. It’s her mom’s and Vogue is letting her cover it.” This was going to be the biggest solo assignment Christina had since landing the photojournalist position at Vogue and she’d asked Tris to come along for moral support. “Hey, I think your mom will be there too, with my mom.”

“I could stop in LA on my way back from Malaysia. Use seeing my mom as an excuse.” He paused. “That is,” he said cautiously, “if you want me to.”

Leaning forward, Tris brushed her lips against his. “Yeah, of course I do. I just…we’re going to keep this to ourselves still, right?”

Tobias paused for a second then nodded. Notifying their families would only complicate the situation as he was pretty sure their parents would do everything to make sure they ended up married. By the same token, it made him a little nervous that she wanted to hide away, like they were a dirty little secret.

His hesitation had her cupping his face in her hands. “I don’t want to share you just yet,” she whispered. Snuggling closer to him, she ran her hand across his chest. “Besides, sneaking around is sexy.”

It comforted him that she didn’t want to walk away any more than he did, so he gave a short bark of laughter. And, if stolen moments were all he could get to convince her that she should explore a relationship with him, he’d do it. “Let’s give it a shot.”

Tris’ smile was nearly as bright as the sunshine outside. Just as she leaned in towards him, her phone rang again. She glanced over to it on the bedside table then looked back at him. “The hell with it,” Tris murmured as she pulled him down to her lips. The last thing she heard was his soft laugh as he captured her mouth.


	6. February Pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, my favorite readers! I hope you enjoyed your Christmas present and here is our regularly scheduled chapter! As I’d said, I thought about posting once a month to keep up with the timeline in the story but my friends talked me out of it haha! The ever-amazing Eunice339, my all powerful beta, agreed so I’m going to try to keep to the every Sunday schedule!
> 
> I hope everyone has a very happy New Year…2021 has got to be better!

9

The last thing Tobias expected to see when he exited Customs was a slim, young man holding a sign with his name on it. He had planned to hire a car to take him to his hotel once he arrived in Los Angeles, so he hadn’t bothered to make any prior arrangements before leaving Malaysia. But there in front of him was his name written in neat, black script. Hitching his bag over his shoulder, he walked over to the man.

“I’m Tobias Eaton,” he said.

The young man smiled. “Good afternoon, Mr. Eaton. Your limo is waiting to take you to the hotel. Please, allow me help you with that.”

Tobias handed over his wheeled suitcase and followed the man out of the airport. “I didn’t call

for a limo.”

“No, sir. Your mother did.”

Tobias heaved a deep sigh as they approached the parked limo, mentally preparing himself to be accosted by his mother as the young man opened the door and he slid inside.

“Darling!” Evelyn beamed at him.

“Hi, Mom,” Tobias replied with feigned enthusiasm as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting to see you until tomorrow.”

“Well, you’ve been halfway across the world for the last six weeks and I couldn’t wait to see my son. Is that so wrong?”

Tobias regarded his mother with a mixture of affection and exasperation. She was a lovely woman whose years sat lightly on her, even though he knew that the rich, dark-brown coloring of her curly hair was the result of religious trips to the salon. Still, her face was relatively unlined, her light brown skin smooth, thanks to a disciplined skincare regime. Evelyn was beaming at him, her eyes smiling with genuine pleasure at seeing him. He didn’t have the heart to turn her away right now. “No, Mom, it’s great to see you, but I was just hoping to shower and get some rest. It was a long flight.”

Evelyn’s dark eyes turned soft. “Of course it was, darling, which is why I’ve arranged everything. I figured tonight we would just eat a light dinner together in the suite and then tomorrow we can attend the fashion show.”

“Really, Mom, I just want to crash. We can have lunch before the show, but then I want to go back to my room and sleep. This was just a lay-over to see you before you go back to France.”

Frowning, Evelyn shook her head at her son. “You simply must come with me to the show, Tobias. Stephanie is donating twenty percent of the sales from her fashion show to support Helping Hands and you just came back from one of our biggest charitable efforts to date. The publicity of having you there would be incredible. The article in _Fortune_ magazine about Helping Hands specifically mentioned _your_ connections to the UN and _your_ active participation in the charity. Coming to the show right after you spearheaded the donation of one of our ships to the refugee cause highlights the importance of Helping Hands to the company and to the Eaton family specifically.” Her gaze, no longer soft and maternal, suddenly turned shrewd. “This will be a big boost to Helping Hands.”

Tobias let his head fall back against the back of the seat. His mother had a point and they both knew it. Helping Hands Foundation was Tobias’ brainchild, one he’d pushed his father for, so Evelyn knew he would be willing to do just about anything to make sure it was a success. There was nothing he could do but admit defeat.

“All right, Mom. I’ll go tomorrow. But afterward, I’m going to just go back to my room and sleep. I really just need some peace and quiet.” Tobias had plans with Tris that his mother knew nothing about, and he was determined to make sure he kept them. Six weeks had been a very long time to be away and he was anxious to see Tris again.

“I promise, darling, I’ll be quiet as a church mouse. You won’t even know I’m there.”

A kernel of dread wormed its way into his stomach at his mother’s words. “What are you talking about, Mom? There’s only one bed in my room.”

She laughed lightly. “Well, of course, but the suite has two bedrooms so I’ll be sure to be quiet.”

Tobias raised his head and looked at his mother. “I booked a single room.”

“And I had Edgar change it to a suite. Really, Tobias, there’s no need to continue living like you’re in Malaysia in temporary housing.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying desperately to keep the panic out of his voice. “Are you telling me that you had your assistant cancel my hotel room and re-book me into a suite with you?

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. “Yes, Tobias. Is there a problem?”

Closing his eyes, Tobias let his head thud back against the headrest. “No, Mom,” he said, his voice hollow. “Of course not.” Behind his closed eyes, Tobias saw all his dreams of a weekend naked with Tris evaporate like mist.

xXx

Surprisingly, Evelyn let Tobias go straight to his room once they had arrived at the suite without complaint. He dumped his bags on the floor—he’d deal with them later—and drew the curtains, blocking out the cheerful California sunshine. Flopping on the bed, he pulled out his cell phone.

_Parental interference is gonna wreck our weekend._

A moment later, his phone pinged with the answering text. _Uh oh, what happened?_

_Mom canceled the room and booked me in a 2 bdrm suite with her._

Seeing the words actually written out on the screen of his phone depressed him a little. One of the things he’d been looking forward to over the six weeks he’d spent in Malaysia was two full days locked in a hotel room with Tris. He hadn’t seen her since New Year’s and the sexy text messages and occasional phone calls they had been exchanging back and forth had done nothing but whet his appetite for her more.

His phone pinged and he looked down. _I’ll work something out. Trust me. Get some sleep. I know you need it._ Tobias grinned at her message, wondering what she had in mind. Tris could be pretty resourceful when she wanted something. Plugging in his phone to charge, Tobias settled back into the soft pillows with images of being tangled in bed with Tris lulling him to sleep.

xXx

Well-acquainted with jet lag, Evelyn entered Tobias’ room a couple of hours later, briskly waking him to encourage him to shower and unpack so he wouldn’t sleep through the afternoon and awaken in the middle of the night. Tobias stumbled sleepily into the shower and let the hot water pound away the lingering muscle fatigue. It didn’t matter how nice first class was, he mused, after traveling for over eighteen hours, exhaustion was the name of the game. Still ridiculously tired, he forced himself out of the shower and back into the bedroom. To keep himself awake, he unpacked what he’d need for the next few days, including the black suit and blue shirt he was planning to wear to escort his mother to the fashion show. He’d need to have it sent down to the concierge to be pressed, but that could wait. Pulling on a comfortable pair of cotton pants and a t-shirt, he hoped Evelyn was serious about staying in their suite for dinner.

He needn’t have worried; Evelyn, true to her word, had ordered room service. She looked up when Tobias exited his room and tsked. “Really, Tobias, you couldn’t have dressed for dinner?” Evelyn was wearing the same tailored, pearl-gray skirt and blush-pink, silk blouse, but somehow managed to still look as put together as she had when she’d met him at the airport.

Shrugging, Tobias sat at the table in the small dining room of the suite. “I’m going right back to bed after this.”

She shook her head and sat across from him. “Image is still important, Tobias.”

Ignoring her, Tobias reached for the silver dome over his plate and was pleasantly surprised to see a New York strip steak, roasted potatoes and steamed green beans. He looked up at Evelyn who was smiling at him. “I figured after six weeks, you’d want a good steak.”

Tobias smiled back. “Yeah, this is great. Thanks, Mom.”

“I know my boy.” She removed her dome to reveal poached salmon with wild rice and asparagus. Tobias was grateful she’d remembered his aversion to asparagus as well. They ate quietly for a while before Evelyn sat back, a glass of wine in hand, and fixed her gaze on her son. “So, I assume you took the time to meet with the British officials and some of the businessmen we suggested while you were in Kuala Lumpur.”

Tobias hid his sigh by eating a piece of potato. It had not been a question and Tobias had known that his parents would use his trip to further their business contacts for Prior-Eaton. “Yes, Mom. I even introduced Jack Kang to the Malaysian Special Envoy the government assigned to Prior-Eaton.” Jack was Prior-Eaton’s corporate counsel who’d stopped in Malaysia on his way back to the US from a business trip to India. Tobias’ eyes narrowed at the knowing expression on his mother’s face. “All of which you already knew,” he concluded.

Evelyn gave a sharp smile. “Your father told me to relay his pleasure at the success of your trip.”

Tobias shook his head and didn’t respond. He’d often thought it was a waste of his mother’s talent that she hadn’t taken an official position within the company, but he knew that his father preferred Evelyn to simply be a society wife. Marcus, however, was no fool; he knew his wife was extremely intelligent so he used her to his best advantage, which was networking and managing people, often their own son. Between Marcus’ business skills and Evelyn’s people skills, they made a powerful, yet formidable, couple. Tobias knew his parents didn’t love each other—he wondered sometimes if they ever had—but they respected each other enough to create the image of a perfect partnership. Maintaining that image was the single most important thing to both of them.

Putting down her wine glass, Evelyn speared Tobias with another look. “Tobias, your father and I want to talk to you about your plans. It is high time you began thinking of your future.”

Tobias let out his groan this time. “Mom, really…”

“No,” she interrupted sharply, “we need to talk about this. It is time for you to give up gallivanting around the world and settle down.”

“Working with refugees is hardly ‘gallivanting,’” he snapped.

“Well, it isn’t growing the company,” she snapped back. Noting the tightening tic in his jaw, Evelyn sighed and decided to change tactics. “Tobias,” she said, her voice softening and becoming reasonable, “you are nearly thirty. You need to settle down, get married and take your position within the company. We’ve indulged your whims since your Master’s degree all because we assumed you would use those skills in the business. It’s time for you to get serious about that now.”

Tobias resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew damn well that Marcus and Evelyn had used everything—his Master’s in economics, his military service, and even his work with the United Nations and other charities—to their advantage when it suited them. They’d kept a lot of his refugee work quiet, as some of it was in unsavory places that they couldn’t use for business, unless it was in the Middle East or Asia where Prior-Eaton could expand. His work with various charities helped Prior-Eaton’s public image to be one of the world’s most philanthropic businesses. However, Tobias knew the pressure from his parents would only keep rising as long as he was doing what he wanted rather than what they did.

“I spoke with Johanna Reyes last week when she came to do an on-site visit,” Tobias admitted. “She is looking for ways to expand Helping Hands and I’ve been giving her some ideas.” Helping Hands Foundation was the culmination of a couple of years of work on Tobias’ part. Prior-Eaton had donated to other charities for years, but it had been Tobias’ idea to have their own non-profit, created and directly sponsored by Prior-Eaton International Travel. The Foundation was still in its infancy, but thanks to Tobias’ connections with the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees it was gaining a good reputation.

Evelyn cocked her head to the side, considering. Helping Hands had been a great boon to Prior-Eaton’s reputation, largely due to Tobias’ efforts. “That’s a start.” She picked up her fork and finished off the last of her salmon. “Now,” she continued, “when you come to London next month, I have several social engagements I’d like you to attend. The Pickingtons’ daughter, Myra, recently broke off her relationship with that model. Thank heavens.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, thinking of the handsome but socially inappropriate male model Myra had dated for a year. Tobias’ jaw tightened slightly as he knew his mother was still annoyed that he’d dated a model, Lauren Seagram, for two years in graduate school. Evelyn, oblivious to Tobias’ annoyance continued outlining her plans. “Her mother and I had lunch recently and Amelia and I thought you two should have dinner.” The Pickingtons were cousins to the royal family and Evelyn could almost taste the cachet nobility would add to the Eaton name.

There was a pregnant pause as Tobias finished his steak. “No,” he said flatly.

Ignoring him, Evelyn picked up her wine glass and continued, “It would actually be easier if you just moved back to London.” Evelyn was American and Tobias was born in Chicago, but she’d always been clear that she preferred her life in Europe.

“I said no, Mom.”

Putting down her glass with a clink, Evelyn frowned, “Tobias, be reasonable.”

“No.”

“You have obligations, Tobias Alexander. You can’t put them off forever.”

“And that does not include some society marriage that means nothing to me,” he shot back. “You and Dad may be content to screw around on each other while presenting the facade of a marriage but that’s not what I’m going to do. I don’t need you to set me up.”

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, because one of your models is so appropriate?”

Sighing in frustration, Tobias threw his napkin down on the table. “That stuff is all bullshit and you know it,” he said bluntly.

“The press might’ve exaggerated that a bit, I’ll admit,” Evelyn conceded. “But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong about you needing to commit to the path you’re going to follow for the rest of your life. You have to begin thinking about the company, where you need to fit into it. It’s time, Tobias.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew where this conversation was going and it was nowhere good. Evelyn would only get angry, call his father, and then he’d have to listen to both of them outline his deficiencies, what they wanted for him, why he should give in and simply do as they say. Part of him had considered it briefly. It would certainly be easier, but Tobias didn’t want his parents to pick his wife. The idea that he would have the kind of marriage his parents did—shallow, insubstantial, living separate lives—made him shudder with dread. “I know, Mom, and I am thinking about the future. I promise.”

Evelyn was scarcely mollified and she started to argue further, but as Tobias leaned forward to pour himself more sparkling water, her motherly instincts latently took over and she took a good look at him. He had lost just a bit of weight, not much, but enough that she noticed. There were dark circles beginning to form under his eyes and he looked exhausted. Evelyn sighed and decided to table the conversation for later. A tired Tobias was not a reasonable Tobias. And, she thought to herself, it might be better to simply put Myra in Tobias’ path whenever possible. “All right, darling. We can always talk about this later.”

Tobias let out a relieved breath. “That would be better. I really just want to relax and go back to sleep.”

“Of course, dear.” Rising smoothly, Evelyn walked over to the wet bar and reached for a small bottle of cognac on the counter and poured a shot in a snifter glass. She always brought it with her when she traveled as she was convinced the French brandy was the best sleep aid for jet lag. “Here. This should help you sleep.” She handed him the glass and ran her hand over his hair. “Tobias, I only want the best for you. I love you.”

Guilt warred with annoyance and affection inside him. “I know, Mom. I love you, too.”

She kissed him on top of his head. “Get some sleep.”


	7. February 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings! So, here we are with the part everyone has been waiting for, haha! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

xXx

“What an amazing turn out!” Evelyn crowed. “Everyone we wanted is here and I’m certain they are buying up everything on the runway!”

Tobias had to admit the charity fashion show had been a smashing success. It wasn’t a huge surprise though. Stephanie Emeka had gained quite a reputation for her designs even if many had written her off as a lark when she first retired from modeling. People assumed she was simply arm candy for David Preston—lead singer of the rock band, Blunt Truths—and had no actual talent in fashion. However, in the last ten years, the Ghana-born model-turned-designer had made most of her critics eat their words with her daring runway shows and her even more popular ready-to-wear designs. 

Thanks to their daughters’ friendship, Natalie Prior and Stephanie had become good friends in the years since Tris and Christina first met as roommates their freshman year in college. Stephanie often donated some of the proceeds of her shows to a charitable organization and so a few months ago, Natalie had approached her friend with the idea of collaborating with Prior-Eaton to host one of her four ready-to-wear shows as an exclusive fundraiser for Helping Hands. Stephanie’s shows always garnered a lot of attention but given all the publicity of Emeka Designs teaming up with an international travel company like Prior-Eaton, there was going to be an upcoming feature in Vogue that Christina was assigned to cover as one of their photojournalists. Given the success of this event, Tobias was certain next year’s fundraiser would be even bigger.

“This did turn out well and the twenty percent will be a great help to pad Helping Hands’ budget.” Tobias noted.

“It’s quite a coup for Prior-Eaton too. I wonder if next year we can make it into all the major fashion magazines, not just Vogue.” Evelyn mused. Then she brightened, “Oh, here comes Natalie.”

Tobias looked up and nearly swallowed his tongue. Walking towards them were Natalie, Christina and Tris. All three women were beautiful, but all Tobias could see was Tris. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, leaving her face unframed but for the ruby, hoop earrings at her ears. She was wearing a cream-colored blouse; the open keyhole in the front just showing the slight swell of her breasts. Her wide-legged, cream-colored, cuffed trousers with its thin, red belt swirled around her legs and hinted at the shapely curve beneath them. But sexiest of all were her bright red, peep-toe, sling-back heels. The heels were ridiculously high and Tobias suddenly had an image of those shoes braced against his shoulders as he drove himself inside her. As Tris glided closer, Tobias could see the slight smirk on her lips, the knowing look in those icy-gray eyes. It was all he could do not to pull her to him and do things that would certainly land them on the first page of every gossip magazine in the country.

“Evelyn!” Natalie and Evelyn exchanged air kisses to each cheek. “And Tobias, how good to see you!”

“Thanks, Natalie.” Tobias bent down and brushed his lips across her cheek. Turning to Christina he did the same. “Hi, Christina.”

“Hi, Tobias. You look exhausted.”

Tobias rolled her eyes at Christina’s cheerfully delivered honesty. “Gee, thanks.”

“Leave him alone, Chris. He’s been in Malaysia for over a month,” Tris admonished. “Hey, Tobias.”

He bent to press a kiss to her cheek, lingering a bit longer than he had with the others. “Hi, Tris.” He straightened and saw his own hunger reflected in her eyes. Keeping up this pretense was going to be ridiculously tough, especially in front of an eagle-eyed Christina who rarely missed anything when it came to her best friend.

A waiter approached them carrying champagne on a tray and Tobias plucked off two, handing one each to his mother and Natalie, who were engrossed in conversation about the event. He snagged another two, one for Tris and offered the other to Christina, who shook her head.

“No thanks. I’m still working.” She patted the camera around her neck and glanced around. “In fact, I only have a minute before I need to get backstage and interview the models about the show. How was Malaysia?”

Tris smirked to herself as she already knew the answer to Christina’s question. She and Tobias had kept up a steady stream of text messages while he was gone, but it was a logical question. She shifted slightly, moving subtly closer to him. Tobias took a deep breath; the warm vanilla that was Tris’ signature scent teased his senses. He forced himself to respond to Christina’s question when all he wanted to do was grab Tris and pull her tightly against him.

“Busy,” Tobias began before taking a sip of the champagne Christina had declined. “It took us several days to off-load all the supplies we brought on the _Temperance_ and to get the refugees settled. Then it took forever to work with the UN and locals to start rebuilding. There were the usual delays—red tape, meetings…I barely had time to eat or sleep!” Tobias rolled his eyes. “But in the end, we got a really good start and got a lot of families relocated before I had to head back. There’s still a lot of work to be done there.”

Christina shook her head. “I can’t believe you did all that.” Her voice held a note of admiration. “I don’t know that I could.”

Tobias grinned. “There’s always room on our next charitable mission if you want to find out,” he teased and Tris laughed while Christina shook her head again.

“No thanks,” she said with a laugh. “The jungles of LA are more my speed.” Noticing the time, Christina startled slightly. “Oh, I need to get back there. Call me tomorrow, Tris?”

“Sure.” Tris waved as her friend hurried back towards the dressing rooms. Turning back to Tobias and their mothers, she caught Tobias draining his glass. Her own fingers tightened on the stem as she watched him, marveling that she could somehow find the way he drank champagne sexy. His cheeks appeared a little sunken in with weight loss, something that was probably more noticeable because he was clean-shaven now, no doubt Evelyn’s influence. Even with the slight weight loss, she could still see the ripple of muscle under his crisp, blue shirt. The first couple of buttons were unbuttoned and Tris could imagine unbuttoning the rest of them, pressing her lips to that tan skin, savoring his taste. After weeks without him, having him this close was beginning to make her twitchy. She was dying to get him alone but having their mothers with them was going to make it tricky. A seed of an idea began to germinate. 

Evelyn looked up when she realized Christina had left. “Is everything all right with Christina?”

“Oh yes,” Tris reassured her. “She just had to head back to interview some of the models.”

Evelyn looked satisfied. “I have to say, this turned out even better than I’d hoped.”

Natalie nodded, sipping her champagne. “I agree. I think this will be one of our most successful fundraisers to date.” Shooting an amused look at Evelyn, she added, “Even better than the art auction, which I recall you said it would be, by the way.” With a laugh, Evelyn toasted her, but looked away when she saw someone across the room. “Is that Janice Trent?” she asked excitedly. 

Natalie turned and gave a little smile. “It sure is. I wonder how she heard?”

“Who cares?” Evelyn absently placed her half-empty glass on a passing waiter’s tray. “A senator’s wife coming is always good for us. Tobias, we need to go say hello.” Taking her son’s hand, she began weaving her way through the crowd towards Janice Trent. Tobias shot Tris and Natalie a helpless look over his shoulder as his mother dragged him off.

Evelyn moved with determination through the crowd, her hand clamped firmly on Tobias’ arm. “Hmm, she seems to be alone. I wonder where her daughter is. What’s her name…? Oh yes, Nicole.”

“Probably rehab,” Tobias mumbled. It was well-known that Nicole Trent was a huge party girl and had more than a passing acquaintance with the seedier side of the professional party scene. He’d met Nicole once, about a year before at a party in New York and had been completely turned off by her. Unfortunately, it was just long enough for someone to snap their picture and make his mother consider a family connection to a US Senator.

Evelyn shot him a dirty look over her shoulder. “Be nice,” she ordered. They quickly reached Janice’s side, a warm smile planted firmly on Evelyn’s face. “Janice! I thought that was you!”

Janice Trent turned to Evelyn and smiled, a practiced politician’s wife smile. “Evelyn, how wonderful to see you. I’m so glad I could support Prior-Eaton.”

“We certainly appreciate it. The charitable portion of the proceeds will go a long way to helping us get Helping Hands on its feet.” Evelyn practically oozed charm. “Oh, have you met my son, Tobias? He just returned from Malaysia where we lent one of our ships, _Temperance,_ to the relief efforts there.”

Tobias turned on his own professional smile and held out his hand. “It’s lovely to finally meet you, Mrs. Trent.”

“I believe Tobias and your daughter know each other. Is Nicole here? I’m sure Tobias would love to see her again.” She shot a smile full of warning to her son. Tobias suppressed the sigh at her not-so-subtle attempt at matchmaking. Evelyn had very definitive ideas about the right woman for him. Those ideas certainly didn’t match with Tobias’.

“Unfortunately, no. She’s suffering from a sinus infection so she’s sadly at home.”

It was all Tobias could do to suppress a snort, convinced that Nicole’s “sinus infection” was most likely code for “rehab.” Rumor had it that Nicole had a taste for cocaine.

“Oh, well, I certainly hope she feels better soon! It would be wonderful if we could all get together for dinner at some point. Of course, I’ll have to drag Marcus here from London,” Evelyn laughed lightly. “He’s such a workaholic!”

Janice rolled her baby-blue eyes. “Tell me about it. Why just last week, John told me they’d scheduled three town halls for his next recess!”

Tobias felt his eyes glaze over as his mother chatted amicably with the senator’s wife. To his enormous relief, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Turning slightly away, he pulled it out and opened the touch screen.

__

_ Go out the doors on your left. Turn left. At end of hallway, turn right. Third door on the right. Now. _

Suppressing a grin at Tris’ cryptic message, he turned to his mother and Janice Trent with an apologetic smile. “Excuse me, please, ladies. I need to make an important call. Mother, I’ll catch back up with you after I deal with this.”

As her hopes for putting Tobias in front of a senator’s daughter were dashed, Evelyn smiled generously. “Of course, son.”

“It was lovely to meet you, Mrs. Trent. Give Nicole my best.” He shook her hand and made his way to the doors on the left side of the ballroom. Turning left, he headed down the hallway as Tris had instructed. When he reached the third door, he looked over his shoulder and knocked lightly. The door opened a little and Tris quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him inside.

She pushed him back against the door, closing it firmly behind him. Tobias reached back with one hand, flipping the lock as he pulled Tris to him with the other. He kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her waist. Tris kissed him back just as fervently, her hands clutching his shoulders. Even with the high heels, Tris had to stand on her tiptoes, practically climbing his tall frame to get closer to his mouth. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders, her fingers attacking the buttons on his shirt just as she had fantasized about earlier. Tobias fumbled a little pulling the gauzy shirt out of her pants so he could touch her soft skin.

Tris wrenched her mouth away from his and drew in a shuddering breath. “I couldn’t wait any longer,” she gasped.

He chuckled, his fingers lightly dancing along the skin on the small of her back. “I’m glad. I needed the rescue.” Cupping her face in his hands, he brushed his lips gently against hers. “I’m so sorry Evelyn hijacked our time together.”

Tris shrugged, her hands dancing down his naked chest to his pants. “Not your fault. We’ll just have to make the most of this right now.”

After shrugging out of his shirt, Tobias carefully unhooked her pants, dropping them to the floor. “We’ll have to be quick,” he warned. Lifting her into his arms and stepping around their discarded clothes, he carried her the short distance to the sink. Setting her on the edge of the counter, he ran his hands up her thighs, fingering her blouse. “How do you get this thing off?”

Tris chuckled, unbuckling his belt and pants. “It hooks in the back, but it’s too much hassle. Leave it on.”

He nodded, capturing her lips again, enjoying the feel of her hands pushing his boxers down. He broke the kiss to step aside, kicking them out of the way and grasped the thin material of her bikini underwear. Staring into her eyes, he slowly lowered them, throwing them behind him. Stepping between her open thighs, he growled, “The shoes stay on.”

Tris gave a deep, throaty laugh as Tobias lowered his head, nibbling on her neck. Their hands roamed each other’s bodies—quickly relearning every curve, every favorite spot—though with Tris’ shirt still on, Tobias made a mental note to spend plenty of time worshiping her breasts the next time.

As his fingers danced over her warm, wet center, Tobias was absolutely certain there would be a next time. This thing with Tris, whatever it was, was beginning to take on a life of its own. It wasn’t just sex, there was something more here. Every phone call; every text message only seemed to draw them closer together. Sliding his fingers inside her, Tobias felt his heart racing at her gasp.

Clutching his shoulder, Tris groaned out, “Now. No teasing. I need you now.”

He grasped her hips in his hands, pulling her to the edge of the counter and slid deep inside her. They moaned together, the pleasure of being connected again heightened by the urgency of their coupling. Tris cupped his cheeks in her hands, bringing her lips to his. She kissed him deeply, tongues entwining, as he held her hips tightly, thrusting inside her in a steady rhythm. Breaking the kiss, she let her head fall back, reveling in the feel of his body moving inside hers. No one had ever made her feel the way Tobias did and Tris was determined to enjoy every second of it.

Taking advantage of her position, Tobias nibbled her exposed neck, increasing his speed. He wasn’t sure how long he could last so he slipped his hand between them, further opening her to him, his thumb pressing and moving in small circles over her. He pressed his lips to hers, capturing her cry, just in case someone outside could hear them. Her muscles fluttered tightly around him and he couldn’t hold out any longer. He let go, moaning against her lips.

Tris hugged him tightly to her as they caught their breath. Pulling back, Tobias cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “I can’t wait another eight weeks for this,” he whispered.

She covered his hands with hers. “I don’t think I can either. That was entirely too good.” She kissed him again lightly and slid off the counter. They cleaned themselves up, pulling on and straightening clothes. As Tris stood in front of the mirror reapplying her lipstick, Tobias wrapped his arms around her from behind. 

“When do you think you can get away?”

Recapping her lipstick, she met his eyes in the mirror. “Probably in March. My parents will be spending a few weeks in Geneva so they won’t notice I’m gone.”

“Why don’t we sneak up to Canada then? I’ll have some down time and I have a great place we can go. It’ll just be you and me, no neighbors…next to a ski resort. Just us.”

Tris looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t ski.”

“I don’t. I just want a whole week with you.”

Tris grinned and turned in his arms, draping hers around his neck. “A whole week alone with you…? Whatever will we do with ourselves?”

Tobias grinned back. “We can play Twister. Naked.”

Laughing she tightened her arms around him. She loved that he could make her laugh. Most of the men she’d dated in the past had been too stuffy, too much a part of the world she did her best to escape. She’d thought that about him but was continually delighted to discover how wrong she was. “I think that can be arranged. After that, we go into full-blown wedding mode.” Tris let out a breath. “It’ll be a wonderful to have a rest before the insanity.”

“I thought the wedding wasn’t until August.” He frowned.

Tris laughed, “Oh, you have no idea, poor man.”

“So, March?”

She nodded. “March.”

Tobias bent his head and kissed her again. “I miss you already.”

Tris smiled against his lips as her heart beat faster. Tobias was the most intriguing man she’d met in a very long time. She had tried to tell herself that this was just sex but standing here in his arms, she began to wonder if she could keep it to that. “I’ll go out first, then you can come.”

“Already did.”

She slapped him on the chest as he laughed. Picking up her purse, she shot him a saucy grin as she slipped out the door. Closing it behind her, she leaned against it for a moment, her eyes closed, letting her breathing return to normal. _What am I getting myself into?_ she thought before pushing herself away from the door. Taking a deep breath, she headed back to the after party.

xXx

Nita Vargas sipped a glass of sparkling wine as her practiced gaze swept the room. Convincing her editor to get her an invitation to this had been one hell of a coup. She was the only gossip columnist in attendance and her stories would be a juicy counterpoint to the official spread in Vogue. A smug smile crossed her face as she thought about how she’d even managed to stay out of Christina Preston’s view. Vogue had the exclusive for the show and Nita knew Christina would have happily had her ejected. It hadn’t been easy keeping a low profile while seeking out the scoops but she’d still managed to take a couple of pictures of celebrities together and had overheard enough gossip to give her a good story once she married it with other information she’d gleaned. There were even a few scintillating leads she wanted to follow for future stories. All in all, she was thrilled.

Her eyes landed on Evelyn Eaton and Janice Trent talking and laughing like old friends. Placing her glass on a nearby table, Nita began making her way through the crowd towards them as unobtrusively as she could. Luckily, they were standing near the buffet so she picked up a plate and pretended to consider the small fruit tarts in front of her as she angled her body to try and overhear their conversation.

“…just wish Nicole was feeling better. I’m afraid poor Tobias is a bit bored. I’m sure having a friend to talk to would be much better for him.” Evelyn was saying.

“Well, Beatrice Prior is here. Aren’t they friends?” Janice sipped her cocktail and Nita took a bite of the fruit tart, leaning back a little against the table as though she were lounging.

“Yes,” Evelyn continued, “but they don’t have much in common, I’m afraid. Tobias is ready to settle down and Beatrice just isn’t.”

Janice chuckled lightly. “Well, give her time. She’s a couple of years younger so she has time to find herself.”

__

_ Interesting _ , Nita thought and nibbled lightly on the tart, prolonging her time next to them. There was such little information about Tris Prior that she thought some insight would be helpful. Nita wished she could just take out her cell phone and jot down her observations but this conversation had too much potential for her to make a move. Shifting her weight a little, she tried to get a little closer.

At that moment, she noticed a large man staring at her from across the room, his eyes narrowed. _Shit_ , she thought as she recognized Stephanie Preston’s assistant staring at her. He must’ve figured out that she was eavesdropping. Stuffing the rest of the tart in her mouth, Nita forced herself to carefully put down the plate. Moving away from the tantalizing conversation was almost physically painful but Nita slowly made her way through the crowd towards the door leading to the hallway. 

Once out of the ballroom, she took a deep breath and opened her phone. The few nuggets she’d gotten from her eavesdropping were enough of a lead to get her started. She dialed her desk phone and when the voicemail picked up, quickly related what she’d overheard. As she ended the call, she saw none other than Tris Prior herself round the corner. Angling her face away from Tris, Nita kept the phone to her ear, murmuring words into it to make it seem she was still on the phone. Nita quickly realized it didn’t matter; Tris was clearly preoccupied with her own thoughts. _Was it her imagination or did Tris look a little flushed?_ Nita wondered.

As Tris walked to the door leading back into the ballroom, Nita studied her. She wished she could take a picture of Tris to compare it with ones she’d manage to sneak before. It sure seemed to Nita that Tris’ face was a bit pinker than it had been earlier. Maybe Tris wasn’t feeling well but her reporter’s intuition told Nita that wasn’t the case. As Tris disappeared into the ballroom, Nita hurried back down the hallway that Tris had come from and peeked, trying to discern where Tris had been but all she saw were closed doors. Frowning, Nita debated following Tris back into the ballroom and decided it was worth the risk. Moving back to the doors, she reached for the handle then paused. Considering Stephanie’s assistant may have spotted her, Nita decided it was best to ditch any evidence of her snooping just in case she got caught. So, she moved away from the doors to a position a little further down the hall and emailed herself the pictures and notes from the event as a backup just in case her phone’s cloud storage failed to save everything. Then, with a heavy sigh, she deleted everything from her phone.

A movement caught Nita’s eye and she looked up to see Tobias Eaton striding into the ballroom from the same direction Tris had come from. Nita’s jaw dropped. _Had he just been with Tris?_ She’d blown off the pictures Sarah, her Prior-Eaton insider, had given her of them from Thanksgiving considering it was a company function but now seeing Tris and Tobias in the same place again had her wondering. Slipping her phone into her small clutch purse, she returned to the hallway where she saw them both emerge and walked down it, trying doors. The first was locked but the second opened and Nita deflated a little when she realized it was a bathroom. She opened the third door and saw that it too was a bathroom. _Damn_ , she thought. _They’d probably just gone to the bathroom but wasn’t it interesting that they‘d done it at the same time?_

Nita retraced her steps to the ballroom and her heart leapt into her throat when she saw Stephanie’s assistant in front of the ballroom doors, clearly looking around. _Shit, busted._ Straightening her shoulders, Nita strode past him towards the exit doors. She felt his eyes on her back as she left but she allowed a small smirk to grace her features. Her mission might have ended abruptly, but there was a gleam in her eyes. She may have just gotten a very juicy lead. 


	8. Canada Pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope your 2021 is off to a better start than mine. To paraphrase: these are the times that try people’s souls. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please take care of yourselves.

The closer the car got to Tobias’ cabin, the more nervous Tris became about her impulsive decision to accept his offer to join him for the week in Canada. It hadn’t seemed like a big deal, but now that she was here, the doubts were beginning to set in. What in the world had she been thinking? Canada was an awfully long way to travel just for sex.

Okay…great sex. Incredible sex. Stupendous sex.

All with a man who turned out to be so much more than she’d thought. As her fingernails drummed lightly on the hired car’s windowsill, Tris thought of Tobias. Starting this…thing…with him wasn’t something she’d anticipated. At first, it was just a one-night stand. Then it was a couple of days followed by a ridiculously hot encounter in a bathroom. And now here she was, heading off for an entire week with him. Tris had never spent an entire week alone with a lover before. This was all new territory for her. She wasn’t anti-commitment—at least she didn’t think so. Most of the men of her acquaintance were ones she didn’t want to waste her time talking to, let alone have sex with.

But Tobias was different, _so different_. Maybe that was why she was here. He intrigued her. She shifted a little in the seat as she took a deep breath. She was making way too much of all this. She and Tobias enjoyed each other’s company, had amazing sex, and that was that. Most likely after this week, they’d burn out this crazy attraction for each other and they’d go their separate ways. There was no need to panic, no need to read anything more into it. Tris was tempted to laugh at her own overreaction. This week would surely get him out of her system.

Realizing how close they were to Tobias’ cabin now, Tris dug into her purse to pull out her cell phone. She tapped the shortcut for his number and waited for him to pick up. As the phone rang, her nerves returned, this time over whether her decision to take the earlier flight out might not have worked in her favor. He wasn’t expecting her for a few more hours and was supposed to pick her up from the airport himself. When he answered on the fourth ring, Tris let out a relieved breath.

“Hey! You in the car?” Tobias’ voice was a little breathless.

“Yeah,” she said, a slight smile on her face at the not-quite lie, aware that he thought she was in the car on the way to the airport. “You sound like you were running.”

He chuckled. “I was in the shower. I’d just gotten out when I heard the phone.”

Naked Tobias…Tris grinned at the mental image; an image she’d replayed in her mind quite often in the last few months. “So, does that mean you don’t have any clothes on?” she teased, her voice husky and smile widening as the car began to slow down in front of a cozy one-story cabin with a huge bay window and attached two-car garage.

“That’s exactly what it means,” he said, his voice having dropped an octave. At her chuckle, he responded, “Like that, do you?”

“You have no idea,” she said as the car pulled into the driveway, “but you should throw some pants on.” She nodded to the driver who got out of the car at the same time she did.

“Why’s that?”

She took the handle of her rolling suitcase and smiled at the driver again. The man smiled back, touched his fingers to his forehead in salute and got into the car to drive away. Tris walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. “Because someone’s at the door.”

“What? Wait, how…? No shit, you’re here?” His voice was tinged with excitement and moments later Tobias swung open the door, dressed only in a pair of sweatpants.

Smiling widely, Tris hung up the phone, stuffing it in the pocket of her wool coat. “Yup, I’m here.”

Tobias reached down and pulled her suitcase into the house as Tris stepped over the threshold. She pulled off her coat and draped it over a chair, but before she could take in the view of the room, Tobias wrapped an arm around her waist, spinning her around as his lips descended upon hers.

xXx

Tris nuzzled her nose into the hollow of Tobias’ neck, letting out a contented murmur as Tobias’ fingers traced her spine. With her muscles lax and her body sated by his, Tris had a hard time remembering why she’d been second-guessing her trip. At the moment, there was no place else Tris wanted to be. The quiet of their lazy dozing was interrupted by a loud growl from Tris’ stomach.

Tobias chuckled. “Hungry?”

Lifting her head, she grinned at him, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “Well, we did just burn a lot of calories.”

“We sure did,” he leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. “I’d planned on us having dinner in Toronto since I couldn’t get grocery delivery before tomorrow, but we could run into town and pick up something now, if you want. There’s a ton of good restaurants.”

“Hmm…I read online there was a French restaurant in town that serves pommes aligot.” The ridiculously indulgent whipped potato and cheese dish was one of Tris’ favorite comfort foods and she smiled at the very thought.

He grinned at her. “Oh, yes. They serve it with red wine braised short ribs.”

“Oh, sold.” Tris sat up and stretched, the sheet falling around her waist. Tobias’ eyes drifted down to her breasts and when she cleared her throat playfully, he looked up at her with an unrepentant grin. She rolled her eyes. “Okay, lover boy, let’s get up and get dressed. Otherwise, I may never get fed.”

Tobias laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

xXx

Nita suppressed a moan as Fernando’s lips traveled from hers, across her cheek and down her neck. He sucked the delicate skin for a second longer before sitting back and reaching for his glass of red wine. Reaching for her own, Nita smiled at him as she sipped. “This is wonderful, Fernando,” she purred, putting her glass down and running her fingers over his hand.

“I told you this place was the best,” he smiled at her.

She nodded her agreement and leaned forward to kiss him again. Since they were so far away from New York, Nita felt completely comfortable with indulging in a little public affection. She knew better than anyone that back in New York, someone was always watching. Besides, they were tucked securely into one of the restaurants many booths, the tops of the high walls covered with greenery that obscured the views of other diners. The nearby water fountain’s tinkling sound created a lovely white noise muting the sounds of conversation around them. All in all, they were about as private as they could be in a public place.

“I could get used to this kind of treatment,” she teased. “Maybe sleeping with my publisher’s son wasn’t such a bad idea after all.”

Fernando laughed. “You like to live on the edge. So do I.”

Running her fingers along his arm, she looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Oh, I clearly do. After all, can you imagine what your father would do if he found out about us? The son of Charles Devlin, publishing guru, and Countess Valentina de la Torre indulging himself with a lowly, gossip reporter from the Bronx. Can you imagine the scandal?”

“My parents don’t agree on anything but they would definitely agree on that.” He tapped his fingers lightly on her chin. “You are indeed an indulgence I can’t afford, _carina_.”

Nita purred. “Then, let’s make the most of this and have a little fun.”

“I like the sound of that.” Fernando tangled his hand in her hair and kissed her deeply. Nita sighed happily as they parted and leaned back, giving Fernando access to her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the top of a familiar six-foot-tall, male head as it strode by and she nearly did a double take. “Was that Tobias Eaton?” she asked, sitting up so suddenly that Fernando raised his head. He glanced in the direction she was looking and shrugged.

“Maybe. He has a place up here, too.” He tried to lean back down to her, but Nita was distracted. He sat back with a sigh.

Nita was straining her head over the top of the booth, trying to see who was with Tobias, but turned abruptly to look at Fernando. “What? You never told me that!”

Fernando shrugged and took a sip of his wine. “I didn’t think another man’s home was that important to the woman I’m sleeping with.”

Staring intently at the couple, now in the foyer of the restaurant, all she could see was the back of a blonde woman’s head as she buttoned her coat. “Oh, my God! Is that Tris Prior?” She looked back at Fernando, excitement on her face. “Jesus, Nando, I think he’s with Tris Prior. God, are they really together?” She chewed her lip. “Have you ever seen them here before?”

“Not that I know of but I don’t pay attention to these things.” He shrugged and looked at her pointedly. “Most people come up here for a little privacy. Like us, remember?”

“But I need this scoop! It would be the biggest story I’ve ever broken!” Nita continued to strain her neck, watching the couple lean into each other and laugh as they presumably waited for the valet to bring their car. Tobias was blocking her view so Nita couldn’t see the blonde’s face. Whoever she was, she was much shorter than Tobias. Nita bit her lip, praying Tobias would move so she could see who was with him. But beside her, Fernando’s stiffened body had the effect of a splash of cold water to Nita.

“I see. If this is that important to you, I should let you get to it. This business of yours bores me, so perhaps it is time for this little game of ours to end.”

Nita looked back at Fernando; a little surprised he was so willing to let her go. Sure, they were just having fun but Nita was under the impression that what was between them hadn’t quite run its course yet. Nita weighed her options; if Tobias Eaton were really with Tris Prior, then that would be a career-making story for her. Both Tris and Tobias were notoriously private even though they lived most of their lives in the public eye. They’d been spotted together recently, once by Nita herself, but always in places where both of their families were hosting events so Nita hadn’t put much stock into it yet. Though she had to admit, seeing them together had her intrigued. Tobias had been seen publicly with several models over the last few years, but Nita’s digging revealed that he wasn’t actually involved with any of them. Tris was rarely ever seen out with anyone. One exception had been Albert Kramer, but he was a family friend of the Priors. Nita had her suspicions that the Kramers and Priors were trying to make a match of their children as the Priors and Blacks had done with Caleb and Susan. But Tris Prior and Tobias Eaton, heirs to Prior-Eaton International Travel, would be a much juicier—and more lucrative—match. It would merge and cement the fortunes of both families, firmly keeping the business within the two families. If Tris and Tobias were in Canada together, and Nita could get something that implied they were romantically involved with each other, that was the kind of story that could vault her straight to the top of the gossip game. Part of her wanted to slide out of the booth and hurry to the front of the restaurant to try to get a picture on her cell phone.

Then again, in order to get that published, she’d have to tell her editor where she was and how she happened to see them. And if she did that, it could easily come out that she was here with Fernando. After all, there was absolutely no way she could afford a weekend getaway at the posh ski resort on her salary. She sighed and settled back into the booth. It wasn’t worth revealing her relationship with Fernando. She wasn’t sure if she was in love with him but she surely could be. He was rich, interesting and absolutely, positively sexy with curly, black hair and rich, brown eyes that reminded her of dark chocolate. Her gaze settled on his full lips, lips that never failed to bring her enormous pleasure.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” she laughed lightly. “I got a little carried away.”

Fernando relaxed next to her and brushed his lips across hers. “I know this would be important to you, Nita, but coming up here is a chance for us to have a little fun without word getting back to my dad—your boss,” he added pointedly.

“No, no, you’re absolutely right. This is our time,” she said as she ran her fingers across his hand. “And we get so little of it together as it is.”

He nodded and nuzzled her ear. “How about this. I’ll ask around if he or Beatrice are seeing anyone. My lawyer is at the same firm as Uriah Pedrad and the Pedrads are close to both of them. Maybe one of them will know something.”

Excited, Nita turned to him. “Nando, would you really?”

“Sure.” He flashed a grin, the dimple in his cheek winking out. “I do have a fee, however.”

Catching the sexy look in his eye, Nita sent him a sultry look back. “Oh?” He leaned forward and whispered a creative, and quite naughty, suggestion in her ear. Laughing low in her throat, Nita’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, I think I can afford that.”

Fernando nodded, “I’ll just bet you could.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. Thanks to all who asked; I am okay but we lost our 10 year old mastiff on Monday. Some of you may recognize bits of her in Bruno, in one of my other stories. It has been a tough week, but I know she is happily chasing squirrels and eating treats in a better place.
> 
> I hope things are going well for everyone and you are staying safe and healthy. This chapter is a little on the short side but there is much more to come. Enjoy the chapter!

The sun glinted off the freshly fallen snow, sparkling like glitter in the early afternoon sun. Tris watched through the window as Tobias shoveled snow off the walkway to the cabin. He just kept surprising her. Tobias was a multimillionaire, had been born one, and there he was shoveling snow just like a regular guy. When she’d expressed surprise that he was going out to clear the walkway himself, he’d just laughed at her and said that was part of the fun of owning a ski cabin.

As she continued to watch him shovel, Tris’ one regret was that he had to wear so many layers of clothes in order to be outside. She could just imagine the muscles in his strong arms and back bunching and flexing as he lifted the shovel and threw the snow to the side. Chuckling at herself, Tris noticed he was nearly finished and so on impulse slid on her own boots and coat, pulling one of his caps over her ears, and headed out the door. Once outside, she pulled her gloves out of her pocket as he looked up at her and smiled.

“Hey, what’re you doing out here?” he asked, slightly out of breath from exertion.

“Just thought I’d see if I could give you a hand,” she returned, smiling as she leaned against the side of the garage to don her gloves.

Looking down the now cleared walkway, Tobias laughed. “You know, that’s a generous offer but I think I’ve got it covered.”

Tris pushed away from the garage and stepped off the walkway towards him, a smirk still playing on her face. “Not that kind of _hand_ , silly; this kind of hand,” she giggled as she stopped just in front of him and started clapping her hands together, as if applauding him on stage, while smugly shouting, “Bravo! Well done!”

Tobias barked out in laughter before pulling off his hat and taking a bow. “Why, thank you. You’re too kind,” he said politely, playing along. Then before Tris could move away from him, he reached out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her up towards him. “But I think I prefer my applause with a kiss,” he said, bending his head down to take Tris’ laughing mouth in for a long and tender kiss. 

A little breathless after the kiss ended, Tobias gently set Tris back on her feet in front of him. He quietly cleared his throat as Tris straightened her jacket. Tobias was loving this playful side to Tris and Tris was surprised at how fun and easy it was to joke with Tobias. She had never been this carefree with another man she had dated before and found it a little disconcerting. To cover up her awkwardness from the moment, she looked out over the snow and declared, “I love snow!”

Tobias leaned down to pick up the shovel he had dropped and regarded her with amusement. “You should. I’m sure you see enough of it in Chicago.”

“Yep. I used to love going outside as a kid, making snowmen with Caleb. Whenever it snowed, Anthony would make sure we had carrots, rocks, and a scarf at the ready for us to put on one. We got really creative once when we were almost teenagers and made our whole family out of snow.” Tris smiled at the recollection. “We stole clothes from Mom and Dad’s closet to put on them. Then, we made them come outside and take a picture with everybody posing next to their snowman doppelganger.”

“Hey, didn’t you guys put that on a Christmas card one year?” Tobias recalled seeing it on Tris’ grandfather’s desk. He also remembered he’d snorted at it at the time, all teenage derision, but secretly he’d been envious of the obvious closeness of the Prior family.

“Yeah, but only to family. When we were kids, we’d do those silly ones for our grandparents but we had regular, dignified ones that went out to everyone else.”

Looking around at the pristine snow next to the walkway, Tris was once again seized by a sudden impulse. Turning around, she let herself fall back onto the snow, giggling at Tobias’ surprised face. She lay in the snow for a moment before she began to open and close her arms and legs.

“What the hell are you doing?” Tobias came to stand over her, perplexed amusement lining his face.

“Didn’t you make snow angels as a kid? You spent a few winters in Chicago, so you must have.”

“We lived in a penthouse on Michigan Avenue, remember? No yards.” Truthfully, Marcus and Evelyn would never have allowed it in any event. Tobias could imagine the looks of horror on their faces if they’d caught him doing something they’d considered to be undignified.

Tris sat up from her angel, careful not to mess up the arms and looked up at him with mock pity. “You poor, deprived child! You have to do it now.”

“Do what?”

“Make a snow angel. Come on, join me.”

Tobias frowned. “I think the snow has frozen your brain cells.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a stick in the snow,” she chided.

“I’m not. Snow is cold.”

“Aw, come on,” her voice turned cajoling. “You know you want to.”

“Yeah, no.”

“I promise I’ll warm you up after,” she teased, her voice dropping a seductive octave. “It’ll be fun. You’ll see.”

Tobias smiled at the joy in her face; the laughter dancing in her eyes was turning them more blue than gray and he felt himself weakening. “Ok, what do I do?”

“Just turn around and fall onto your back.”

Moving just a few feet away from her, Tobias allowed himself to fall backwards onto a patch of undisturbed snow. Tris giggled at the grimace that passed over his face from the cold, wet snow. “Okay, now open and close your arms and legs. Yeah, like that.” She continued to instruct as she carefully stood up from her own snow angel and moved to the walkway in front of him. “Now, sit up really carefully so you don’t disturb the snow. Okay, good. Now, stand up and try to get to the walkway without messing it up.”

Tobias carefully stood, taking a big step and managing to get out of the snow, only disturbing a small part of the feet.

“There! Yay!” Tris exclaimed proudly, jumping up and down and applauding. “See? It’s perfect. Your first snow angel.”

Tobias looked down at the two indentures in the snow and chuckled. He felt young, free even, and when he looked at Tris, a wave of affection rushed through him. Turning, he cupped her face in his snow-crusted gloves and kissed her deeply. “I told you I prefer kisses with my applause.” Tris moved into him, getting as close as she could in all their bulky clothes. Kissing Tobias this time didn’t feel awkward. It felt like holding a live wire, sending electric sparks through her.

He raised his head and grinned at her. “Didn’t you say something about warming me up?” he asked, his voice low with arousal.

“Yeah. Come into my lair, said the spider to the fly,” she quipped, grabbing his hand. Tobias chuckled a little and pressed his lips to her forehead.

“I need to salt the walkway and put the supplies away. Join you in a minute?”

“Sure.” Tris brushed her lips against his and walked back into the house as Tobias headed into the garage. Tris made a beeline for the bedroom, quickly changing out of her wet clothes and into a comfortable pair of cotton pants and a sweatshirt. She’d just finished braiding her hair when her stomach gave a loud growl. Deciding that lunch before sex was probably a good idea, she padded into the kitchen, opening the pantry to see what was available to eat. They needed something warm and comforting, she decided, reaching for a box of roasted red pepper and tomato soup. She also grabbed a loaf of bread, having settled on soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Quick, easy, comforting and most importantly, within her culinary abilities. She’d just poured the soup into a small pan when she heard the door to the garage open and Tobias stomp the snow from his boots. Minutes later he entered the room and stopped short when he saw her in the kitchen.

“Why aren’t you naked?” he questioned teasingly.

Tris laughed. “I decided I wanted food first.” At his mock sigh, Tris shook her head. “Why don’t you take a shower? The soup and sandwiches should be done by then.”

“Sandwiches?”

“Mm-hmm, grilled cheese.” Tobias’ eyes lit up and Tris laughed. “Go, get washed up.”

He didn’t linger in the shower, the thought of the sandwiches tantalizing him with images of warm, crusty bread and stretchy cheese. As he was pulling on a sweatshirt, he heard a frustrated, “Shit!” echo up the stairs. With raised eyebrows, he finished dressing and walked into the kitchen. Tris stood, staring at a charred grilled cheese sandwich with active annoyance. Biting his lip to keep from grinning he asked, “Everything okay?”

Tris looked up, her face scrunched in frustration. “No, I keep burning them!”

Tobias looked over and saw two sandwiches piled on a plate, both charred and smoking. Coming around the counter, he noticed that she had the flame on high. “Um, maybe we should turn the stove down.” At her scowl, he broke into a wide grin. “Why don’t you open a bottle of wine? It can breathe while we finish up.”

Sighing, Tris turned to the pantry and considered their options. Choosing a fruity Cabernet sauvignon that would complement the cheddar and tomatoes, Tris opened the wine swiftly and turned to watch Tobias flip over the first grilled cheese sandwich. She wrinkled her nose, both amused and annoyed that his sandwich was golden brown and perfect. Looking over at her burnt offerings, she snatched up the plate and dropped them into the trash. Tobias grinned at her. “They weren’t that bad,” he said.

Tris gave a snort and reached up for a couple of wineglasses. “Burnt is for hot dogs and marshmallows,” she declared. Tobias turned to give her a half grin just as she was stretching up, allowing him to catch an eyeful of her bottom. Shaking his head, he returned his attention back to the grilled cheese sandwich lest he burn it like she did.

While Tobias finished up the sandwiches, Tris turned on the gas fireplace, tossing one of the throw blankets on the floor and moving the coffee table out of the way. When she went back into the kitchen to retrieve the wine and their glasses, she noticed he was just pulling the last sandwich off the pan. “I thought we could have a picnic by the fire,” she said.

Tobias grinned and after ladling the soup into two bowls, turned to expertly slice the three sandwiches diagonally and arrange them onto a plate. “Sounds good to me. Why don’t you help me bring everything over to the living room?” They set the food and wine on the coffee table and settled themselves down onto the floor, eating in silence for a moment before Tris abruptly stopped and set down her sandwich.

“Ok, I just have to ask. Where on earth did you learn to cook?”

“Grilled cheese is hardly cooking, Tris,” he teased.

Tris rolled her eyes as she spooned soup into her mouth. “You know what I mean. You looked pretty comfortable there in the kitchen.”

Tobias laughed. “It’s not rocket science, Tris, but basically I _had_ to learn,” he confessed. When Tris still looked confused, he continued on. “When I first went out on my own, I refused to have any live-in help. I wanted to do it all on my own. Totally drove my parents nuts. So, you could say I learned to cook to spite them. Eventually, I caved when Helping Hands really got going, and now I have a crew come in once a week to clean and a wonderful woman does the cooking.”

Finishing half of her sandwich, Tris tilted her head slightly as she looked at him. “Why did it bother your parents that you wanted to do things on your own?”

Reaching over to top off their glasses, Tobias gave it a moment before he responded. “My parents believe that since we can afford to hire people, we should just hire people. Doing things for yourself is what you do when you don’t have money.”

Tris took a drink of her wine. “I don’t get it. Your parents are very generous—they donate regularly to numerous charities—but it sounds like you’re saying they think they’re better than others.”

Taking a drink of his own, Tobias thought about it for another moment. “They do think they’re better, but they aren’t total assholes about it.” At Tris’ questioning laugh, he continued. “Seriously, they are snobs, but they also understand that if you are too arrogant about it, eventually, regular people will come after you with torches and pitchforks. They want to stay rich, but are also well aware that they have to project a certain image—my dad especially. He has power—the ability to do whatever he wants, for the most part—yet the idea of losing it all horrifies him. He’ll do whatever it takes, even pretending to be noble, in order to keep the status quo.”

Tris ate a little more soup. “I guess I never really gave them that much thought.” Pausing, she glanced at him then looked down. “I mean, I knew your family wasn’t quite as close as mine,” she added carefully, “but I guess it goes a little deeper than I thought. My parents really seem to enjoy working on their charities.”

Tobias laughed. “My parents aren’t monsters, but they are entitled and want to stay entitled.” He shrugged and finished off his own grilled cheese. “Maybe that’s why I’ve wanted to chart my own path. I don’t want to live like that. I want to do more.”

“Well, you have. Helping Hands is really growing from what I’ve heard.”

“I love it,” he confessed with a little laugh. “I didn’t expect to. I’ve spent so many years trying not to be my dad that it’s been weird to realize how much I enjoy the business side of the charity.” Tobias chuckled a little. “On the up side, it confuses the hell out of my parents.” He took a drink of his wine and shrugged. “I’m making them out to be so bad, aren’t I?”

“A little,” she agreed with a smile. “But it’s okay, this is a safe place.”

Impulsively, Tris pushed up on her knees and leaned over to kiss him. Tobias pulled her onto his lap, deepening the kiss and burying his hands in her hair. He sank into the kiss, losing himself in her. He realized he was becoming addicted to her taste, to her touch. Tris played with the curls at the nape of his neck and Tobias pulled her in closer, losing all sense of time as he held her. He didn’t care about his parents, the charity, anything; right then, the only thing he wanted was to stay in Tris’ arms.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon! Thank you all so much for your condolences and your reviews. The reviews always make me smile and I am thrilled you all are enjoying the newly expanded universe. These have been short chapters because for me, reading on a screen gets tiring and I promise there is much more to come! Have a terrific week!

12

The fire crackled merrily in the stone fireplace next to the couch, it was the only lighting in the room other than the television across the room. A bowl of popcorn sat discarded on the coffee table with mugs of warmed, spiked apple cider empty beside it. Tobias lay stretched out on the oversized couch, Tris snuggled on top of him. Her head rested on his chest while her legs entwined with his as they watched television. He idly played with the strands of her soft, blonde hair encased in a ponytail. The recorded laugh track from the comedy playing before them was occasionally echoed by Tris’ giggles. Tobias couldn’t remember the last time he felt so content. The entire week had been so perfect; Tobias hated thinking about when it would end.

As the credits rolled and a new episode began, Tris turned her head to look at him, her chin resting on his chest. “You look relaxed,” she commented.

Tobias gave her a soft smile and cupped the back of her head in his hand, urging her forward for a kiss. “I am,” he murmured against her lips.

Running her tongue against his bottom lip teasingly, Tris pulled back breaking the kiss. “I have to admit, this was a great idea. It’s so peaceful here. Is that why you bought it?”

“Yeah, I felt like I needed a place where I could just be alone if I wanted. My parents have been known to just drop by my place in New York,” Tobias sighed, “and neither of the houses in Connecticut or London have ever really felt like home.” He shrugged. “When my friend, Paul, needed some extra money to build this place, I jumped at investing. All we do is text each other to make sure the other isn’t using it.”

Tris idly traced figures on his chest with her finger. “I get that. I wish I had a place of my own like this. I love my parents—don’t get me wrong—and the house in Chicago is more than large enough to feel isolated when I want it to, but some place where I could get away and just do my own thing without anyone looking for me would be great.”

“What would you do?” he asked, his fingers tracing her spine. When she hesitated, he said gently, “Is that where you’d write?”

Tris stiffened. “What?” she asked, the tremor in her voice betraying the nerves she felt. She’d told very few people about her writing—even her family didn’t know the extent of it. It was one of her deepest secrets.

“I know about Amanda Ritter.” Tris’ eyes snapped to his and he gave her a small, encouraging smile. “I saw a bunch of the Princeton literary magazines in Uriah’s apartment a few years ago. I teased him about it, but he said he had them because he was representing a client who wrote for it in college and was trying to get some of her shorter stories published outside of their college magazine. So, I pestered him to let me read some of them and I was blown away. They were so good. I wanted to read more so he confirmed for me that she was still writing under the same pen name. I searched and found a couple of other short stories in some online magazines and read them too. Then about three months ago, I put it all together. You and Uri went to Princeton together, you’ve worked part-time in marketing writing copy for the company’s website, and Amanda Ritter was your grandmother’s name.”

“How—”

He smiled a little. “Did you forget your grandparents’ paintings are up in the boardroom at Prior-Eaton’s headquarters? There’s a plaque that lists your grandmother’s full name as Amanda Ritter Prior.”

Tris shook her head. “Huh. Yeah, I didn’t realize that.” She’d seen that portrait a thousand times but had barely paid attention to it; it was her grandmother and grandfather painted about a year after their wedding when he’d officially taken the helm of what was then Prior International Travel Agency. Cocking her head to the side, she gave him an appraising look. “How did you remember that name?”

Flushing a little, Tobias shifted a little under her gaze. “She looks just like you,” he mumbled. “My dad had me cooling my heels in the conference room right before Christmas, so when I looked at her picture and saw the name, it all clicked.” A slight frown began forming between Tris’ brows, so he hurried to say, “I loved what you wrote, by the way.” He wasn’t sure he was quite ready to admit thoughts of her and their secret night together before Thanksgiving had been haunting him at the time. Seeing the portrait, a woman who looked so much like Tris, had captivated him.

Biting her lip, she looked at him, uncertainty swimming in her eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. There was that one in the online magazine about a woman who was some kind of undercover corporate spy for her shady aunt. It sounded like that could be expanded into a novel.” Tris sat up and perched on the edge of the couch, her eyes wide. Concerned, Tobias sat up as well. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no. It’s just…do you really think so?”

Surprised by the vulnerability he read in her eyes, he nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yeah, definitely. I could see it, the young woman changing disguises, matching wits with her aunt’s new bodyguard. And what’s his deal, anyway? Is he really more than he seems?”

Tris hesitated a second, then rose from the couch and disappeared into the master bedroom. Tobias sat there a moment, confused, wondering what he’d said wrong. He’d just decided to go after her when she returned, her tablet in hand. Sitting beside him on the couch, Tris swiped open the screen and handed it to him. He looked down at the tablet then back at her. “What’s this?”

“Just…just read a little bit of it. Tell me what you think.” Tris stood quickly, picking up the mugs and bowl of popcorn. Tobias looked down at the tablet then back at her as she hurried into the kitchen. Shrugging to himself, he began to read and discovered, to his delight, it was the very story he’d just told Tris he liked, only there was more.

“Hey, you added more to it,” he exclaimed. Glancing down at the corner of the screen, he saw that she’d written at least 200 pages. Excited, he leaned back and began to read.

Tris busied herself with throwing away the remainder of the popcorn and to give him even more time, hand washed the mugs and bowl and cleaned up the kitchen. Finally, she figured she’d procrastinated enough. So with a deep breath, she went back into the living room, tentatively sitting on the couch next to him.

Tobias put down the tablet and turned to look at her. Uncertainty was swimming in her large eyes and Tobias could see from the quivering of her chest, she’d begun to breathe a little more heavily. He smiled broadly to reassure her before declaring, “This is amazing!”

When she let out a throaty laugh, Tris realized she’d been holding her breath. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely! You’ve expanded that ten-page short story into something amazing and I want to read more. How much more are you planning on writing?”

Tris chewed on her lip. “It’s about three-quarters done. I’ve got the rest outlined at the end.” She took a deep breath and asked him what she’d never asked anyone before. “Will you read it all? Maybe give me your thoughts?”

A huge grin split his face and the elation in his expression sent Tris’ heart soaring. “Hell, yeah.”

Grabbing the tablet out of Tobias’ hands, Tris put it on the coffee table then turned to him and took the front of his long-sleeved t-shirt in her hands. She pushed him onto his back, kissing him fiercely. Happy to oblige, he kissed her back, his hand immediately going to the soft cotton shirt she wore and slipping his hands underneath it to reach for her warm flesh. Tris maneuvered so that she was straddling him, and with a saucy grin, pulled her t-shirt off over her head. Tobias made a strangled sound, making Tris smile even wider as she bent down to take his mouth again. She loved the way his strong hands trailed up and down her back, caressing her skin. On his third time down, he grabbed her bottom and gave a squeeze. In response, Tris began rolling her hips against his, trailing her lips along his neck. Groaning, Tobias grabbed her hips, holding her in place against him.

Tris suddenly sat up, pushing his shirt up. Tobias grabbed it as well, helping her push it over his head. Reaching for her again, he hauled her down to kiss her fiercely. They pulled and tugged at clothing until they were naked and Tris had regained her position on top of him. She stared down at him, loving the slight smile on his face. He hadn’t shaved for the last couple of days and the beard he’d grown made him look rough and rugged and completely sexy. Holding his gaze with hers, she slowly lifted up and settled herself down onto him. Tobias let out a low groan, echoed by Tris’ own high gasp. Bracing her hands on his chest, Tris continued to raise and lower herself as Tobias grasped her hips tightly. She took her time at first, torturing him with a leisurely pace but he urged her on, lifting up his own hips and pushing into her. His fingers trailed up her torso until he reached her breasts. Cupping them, he ran his thumbs around her nipples, grinning when she tightened around him. To his delight, Tris began moving faster until she was riding him with abandon, totally lost in passion. Tobias stared at her astride him, her golden hair swaying with the movement of her body, her icy-blue eyes closed, mouth slightly open. It was a sight Tobias wanted to see for the rest of his life.

For a moment, his heart seized at the direction of his thoughts. _This was sex, great sex, but just sex. Right?_

He grasped Tris’ hips again tightly, pushing up harder inside her, hoping he could quell the disturbing train of his thoughts by losing himself in the lushness of her body. Tris groaned, her inner muscles tightening around him and he kept moving, prolonging her pleasure, feeling her squeeze him tightly until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Tobias grounded against her as he let himself go, his eyes closing as he blocked out everything but the enormous pleasure washing over him in waves. Tris collapsed against him, her head on his chest listening to his wildly beating heart, its pace matching hers. After a moment, she lifted herself off of him, flopping down on her back next to him.

“If complimenting your writing results in that,” he panted, “I’m going to do it every day for the rest of my life—multiple times a day, even.”

Beside him, Tris giggled and she jolted slightly at the sound, realizing that somehow this man had managed to bring it out of her like a schoolgirl all day. She rolled on her side and propped herself up on her elbow. “Thanks for that.”

He chuckled. “The pleasure was mine.”

Growing solemn, Tris traced patterns on his chest. “Were you serious about the book? You really liked it?”

Tobias reached out and pulled her closer so that she was half-draped across his chest. Pushing her hair behind her ear, he gave her a sincere smile. “Hot sex aside,” he joked. “Yes, I was completely serious. I think your characters are nuanced and realistic and the story is compelling. You’ve got a great touch for writing action.”

“Really?” She shifted so she could rest higher on his chest. “Did you get to the scene with him and the smuggler?”

“Yeah, I started it. Did you ever think of making Thomas FBI rather than a rogue CIA agent? FBI would also go after a murdering CIA spy, but since Interpol is a police organization, it makes more sense. The FBI is law enforcement as well as an intelligence organization.”

Tris frowned. “I didn’t think the FBI could investigate overseas like that.”

“Sure, they can. I can see Interpol and the Brits allowing your guy to infiltrate the organization since part of the smuggling is taking place in the US. I ran across a lot of different US government entities when I was in the Navy. We’d pass information when we came across it. The US and Britain have a good relationship.”

She was quiet for a moment as she considered him. She’d always assumed he was just a sailor, but now she wondered. “Tobias, what did you do in the military?”

He grinned. “I was naval intelligence.”

Tris stared at him for a moment, hardly believing her luck. “Could I pick your brain about the book? Maybe you can give me some pointers?” she asked hesitantly.

Tobias’ face lit up. “I’d love to.”

“Great!” Sitting up, Tris grabbed for her tablet. When she turned back to him, she bit her lip, a thought suddenly occurring to her. “You don’t mind, do you? I know this is a vacation and all but—”

“But this sounds like fun,” he interrupted. “I’d like to help, if I can.”

A smile blossomed across her face. “Ok. Let’s get started.”

He laughed at her enthusiasm and reached up to pull the afghan off the couch and tucked it around them. “Okay, shoot.”

xXx

Tobias awoke the next morning to an empty bed. He frowned, wondering where Tris could be. Between the two of them, he was usually the early riser. Rolling out of bed, he padded over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama pants. After their first night at the cabin, he’d decided to just go to bed naked; they ended up that way anyway. It occurred to him they were already three days into their vacation and only had another two to go. Absently, he rubbed his hand over his stomach, a queasy feeling roiling through him when he thought of separating from her.

He heard the clicking when he entered the hallway. Intrigued, he followed the sound until he found Tris sitting at the dining room table, her back to the window, typing away furiously on the mini wireless keyboard, her tablet set up like a computer screen. She was totally absorbed in her work; her hair bundled up on top of her head in a messy knot while dressed in the sleeveless undershirt and flannel pajama pants she’d been wearing before they went to bed. Seeing her sitting there totally absorbed, her legs hooked around the legs of the chair, he thought she looked adorable.

“Hey,” he said quietly, hoping not to startle her.

She did jump a little and looked up, her eyes taking a moment to focus on him. “Hi,” she returned, struggling to bring herself into the present. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I had an idea and wanted to get it down. I’ll be back to bed in a minute.”

Amused, he leaned against the back of one of the dining room chairs. “It’s 7AM, Tris.”

“What?” She turned to look at the clock on the cable box and was surprised to see he was right. Somehow, she’d lost four hours. When she sat back, she realized her neck and back were both stiff and a little sore. “Wow, I didn’t realize.”

“I can see that,” his voice was still rich with amusement. Moving behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders and began to rub. Sitting on that chair had definitely knotted up her muscles.

“Oh,” Tris moaned a little as Tobias’ strong hands worked out the kinks. Her head dropped down as he gently kneaded her neck, working out the writing-induced tension. “God, that’s good. You’re the best.”

Tobias laughed. “I think you said the same thing last night.”

Tris laughed with him, her hands coming up to rest on top of his. “Yeah, I probably did.” She pushed away from the table and turned to wrap herself in his arms. “You were pretty good to me last night,” she teased.

“ _‘Pretty good?’_ ”

She laughed again. “You’d definitely be the _best_ if you made coffee.”

Tobias dropped his head and brushed his lips across hers. “Well, since you’ve spent the last few hours working, I guess I can accommodate.”

Kissing him back, Tris murmured, “Once you get it started, maybe then you could continue the massage…in the shower with me.”

Tobias deepened the teasing little kisses, taking them into the dark and sensual. “I’ll meet you there in 30 seconds.” They separated, Tris to the bathroom while Tobias hurried into the kitchen to start the coffee, making sure the coffeemaker would stay hot for at least an hour.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello from the snowy mid-Atlantic! It is a cold, raw day and I’m snuggled inside with my new puppy, a mug of spiked hot cider and my Kindle…the perfect Sunday. I hope you all are healthy and safe and looking forward to this new chapter! :-)

xXx

Tris frowned at the cards in her hand and glanced up at Tobias, considering the serious look on his face. A friendly argument about where to eat their final dinner—steak or Italian—resulted in Tris challenging him to a game of poker. So far, they were tied two for two, vying to win the best of five hands.

Tobias was good, she mused. His stoic poker face had fooled her, resulting in her two losses. She chewed her lip, considering. All she needed was an eight and a five and she’d have a straight. It was a good hand but there was still a lot he could have in his hand. Stiffening her spine, she pulled two cards and laid them face down on the table.

“I need two,” she said.

He glanced up at her and dealt her two cards, taking only one for himself. Tris felt her stomach flip and she wondered exactly what was in his hand. It wasn’t all that big of a deal—it was only dinner after all—and Tris realized her nerves had little to do with dinner and everything to do with this being their last night together. She shook her head a little, staring blankly at the two new cards, and slowly realized she’d pulled the two cards she needed. Clearing her throat, she threw two nickels into the pot. “Okay, there’s ten.”

Tobias met her gaze steadily. “I’ll see your ten and raise you another ten.” He threw two more nickels onto the pile.

Raising an eyebrow, she teased, “Somebody’s feeling cocky.” He merely smiled calmly, and Tris couldn’t help but wonder one more time what was in his hand. “Okay, I can do that.” She tossed two more nickels into the pot and lingered for a moment. “And I’ll raise you five more,” she added, throwing another nickel on the pot. She had a feeling Chicken Parmesan was just in her grasp.

“Call.”

Tobias laid down his cards, two jacks, two tens and a queen. “Two of a kind,” he said.

Tris pretended to let her face fall. “Oh,” she said quietly before slowly laying down her hand—a four, five, six, seven and eight straight. “But, unfortunately, my straight beats your two.” She let her lips stretch into a wide grin. “Looks like it’s Italian.”

Tobias’ eyes narrowed for a moment as he realized she’d successfully hustled him. “Something tells me you aren’t the novice you claimed to be,” he challenged.

Grinning, she shrugged. “Christina and I shared a house senior year with Callie Rehnquist. Her dad is an exec at Harrods and I may have learned a thing or two.”

Tobias shook his head. “Shark,” he mumbled. Tris laughed and after a moment, he joined her. “Fine,” he said, “Italian it is. Besides, the place I’m thinking of has an excellent steak Florentine.”

“Wait a minute, if you knew you could get a steak at the Italian restaurant, why didn’t you just say so?” Tris demanded; her voice tinged with mock outrage.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

Tris rolled her eyes at him as he laughed. “Just make the reservation, Mr. Comedian.”

Still chuckling, Tobias pulled out his phone and opened his restaurant reservation app. “Okay, there’s a table at 6:30 but not another one until 8:30.” He glanced up at her. “Why don’t we take the 6:30? That way we can get back early.” Innuendo was heavy in his voice.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Tris replied, the lust she read in Tobias’ eyes making her feel warm from head to toe. She glanced at the clock and calculated. “How long will it take to get there?”

“About 30 minutes.”

Nodding, Tris rose from the table. “I’ll get in the shower— _alone_ ,” she emphasized, amused when she saw the gleam in his eyes. “If you get in with me, we’ll never make it on time.”

Tobias chuckled, “You have a point. I’ll use the other bathroom.”

Tris hurried into the bathroom, stopping only to grab her underclothes and pull her hair up into a bun as she moved. Stepping into the large walk-in shower, Tris appreciated how fast the water warmed. She had to admit, Tobias’ architect friend, Paul, had really designed a wonderful little ski cottage. Two large bedrooms—each with their own luxurious, ensuite bathrooms—made it the perfect getaway for a small group. Pouring body wash into her shower pouf, Tris vaguely wished Tobias were in the shower with her; she’d come to crave his strong hands massaging the soap over her back. She paused when she realized how much she did miss him with her. This trip was supposed to _end_ her craving, not deepen it. Rinsing herself off, she told herself sternly that her craving for Tobias would most likely end once she was back home in Chicago and had some distance.

Tris turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. Looking at herself in the mirror, she chuckled a little. She was overreacting again. She and Tobias had fun together, that was all. They’d gotten into an unexpectedly comfortable routine and that was what she was feeling. She also had to admit to herself that she’d expected their sexual attraction to wane after spending a week together, but that clearly wasn’t happening. Probably because Tobias had some kind of innate understanding of what he needed to do to make her feel amazing. He paid attention, she thought as she used her curling iron to create soft waves. She’d never had a lover who actually paid as much attention to her body as Tobias did; nor had she had one who seemed to enjoy bringing her pleasure. Her first lover, Robert, had been sweet and gentle, but they’d been teenagers, just figuring out what to do. Then there was the Peter disaster the summer after she’d finished high school in Europe. The sex had been decent, but Peter was so completely self-absorbed that ultimately, he hadn’t really been that interested in what she felt. Things were better with Robert the second time around when they were at Princeton, but Tris had to admit that she’d gotten bored with Robert. There’d been a couple of other men since then, but never more than for a couple of weeks at a time.

Then came Tobias.

Tris shook her head to clear it. She and Tobias were extremely sexually compatible and that was really the bottom line. They had great sex. That was all this was. Satisfied that she’d resolved the unfamiliar flutter around her heart; she finished applying her make-up and shimmied into the scraps of lace that she fully expected Tobias to love. They’d have a great dinner, spend the night making each other scream then she’d catch a plane and head back to her normal life in Chicago.

Feeling much better now that she’d given herself a stern talking-to, she strode into the bedroom to finish dressing. She’d only brought one dress and she slid into it, smoothing the material over her hips and tying the belt around her waist. The cranberry-colored, cashmere wrap dress ended at her knees and she pulled on the knee-high, black, leather, heeled boots she’d brought along for it. Turning back and forth in front of the mirror, Tris approved her look. The dress hugged her in all the right places and she was sure it would have the desired effect on Tobias. She added her small, white gold hoops and decided she was done.

Tobias was already in the living room when she exited and Tris stopped for a moment to admire him. The black sweater fit him like a glove, following the strong contours of his chest and shoulders while the charcoal gray slacks hugged his slim hips. His hair was getting just long enough for her to twist a curl around her finger, something she’d done more than once this trip. He looked up at her and those dark, nearly navy, blue eyes met hers and Tris felt her breath catch as she was struck by the soft look in them. No one had ever looked at her like that before.

“Wow,” he murmured, “you look great.”

She forced a smile. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

He held out his hand, “Shall we go?”

“Yeah,” she said, putting her hand in his. Tobias pulled her to the closet across from the garage door and helped her into her coat. After putting his own jacket on, he opened the garage door and led her to the sleek, black, Audi sports car he’d rented in Toronto. Tris raised an eyebrow. “We’re not taking the SUV?” she asked, gesturing to the Land Rover.

“Nah, not necessary. It hasn’t snowed for the last couple of days, so the roads will be clear enough.”

Tris paused before getting into the passenger side while he held the door open. “And, let me guess, you want to zip down the mountain roads in this?” she asked, amused. He only shot her a knowing grin as she slid into the car.

The car did indeed purr as Tobias drove down the mountain road, just fast enough to hug the road, but not enough to be terrifying. Tris watched him with undisguised amusement as he drove. “Enjoying yourself?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah. I never get to drive in New York or London. I love being able to get out of the city, but I just don’t often have time.”

Tris nodded. “Yeah, something like this in Manhattan is probably a little impractical.”

“If you ever get above 20 miles an hour on Park Avenue, then there’s something seriously wrong.”

“I’m always amused when I see movies and TV shows where people are in cities like New York, or even Chicago, and are just zipping along with no traffic,” she laughed.

Chuckling, Tobias pulled the car up to the valet and flipped the keys to the young man, whose eyes were gleaming with the idea of driving the car. “I think I made his night,” he murmured to Tris as they entered the restaurant. The hostess gave them a wide smile when Tobias told her his name and soon they were escorted to a quiet booth.

Tobias glanced at Tris over the menu. “Do you trust me on the wine selection?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, sure.”

When the waiter came to the table, they ordered, and Tobias also ordered a bottle of Sangiovese. “I think you’ll like this one,” he said as the waiter left. “Have you had it?”

“No, I’m partial to French wines,” Tris shrugged.

“Then you’ll love this.”

The sommelier brought the wine, followed mere moments later by the caprese salad. Pouring a small amount of the deep purple wine into a glass, the sommelier offered it to Tobias, who shook his head. “Let the lady decide,” he smiled.

Tris accepted the glass, sniffed and took a sip. “Oh, that’s lovely.” The sommelier poured wine into both glasses and discreetly disappeared. Tris regarded Tobias over the rim of her glass. “You know wines, whiskey, music. What don’t you know?” she teased.

“Hey, you forgot food. I take great pride in my food knowledge,” he teased back, spearing a piece of tomato with a bit of the house-made burrata. “I’m a Renaissance man.”

“I reserve judgment on the food. I haven’t had the parm yet.”

Tobias gave a laugh. “I admit, I haven’t had the chicken parm before, so you’ll have to let me know.”

Enjoying the creamy burrata, Tris asked, “So your friend built the cabin, right? How did you get involved?”

“Paul was just getting started as an architect in Toronto and had this vision to have a small, cozy cabin here. His family had been coming here every year to ski and he wanted something up here too, but everything he found was usually way too big. Paul’s an only child and his family is really small. So, he decided to build it himself, but he spent way more to buy the land than he wanted and didn’t quite have enough left over to really build it the way he wanted. So, I offered to invest and he gave me half. It works out really well for us. He uses it more than I do since he’s closer, but I still get up here a few times a year. He even featured the cabin in his portfolio when he left his firm to go out on his own.”

“It’s the perfect size for two couples,” Tris observed. She was silent for a moment, sipping her wine before she plunged ahead. “I’ve had a really great time, this week,” she said quietly.

“So have I,” he responded then hesitated, wondering if she was thinking along the same lines as he. “I hope this won’t be the last we see of each other.”

This time, Tris took a gulp rather than a sip. She knew, deep down, that this week had been more than she’d expected, but she also remembered the stern conversation she’d just had with herself in the bathroom and told herself to keep it casual. “Considering how close our families are, I doubt it will be.”

“That’s not what I meant—” he responded but broke off as the food arrived. He remained silent as they began to eat but found himself grinning when Tris’ eyes widened after she took a bite of her chicken parmesan. “Well?”

“Amazing,” she answered after swallowing. Hoping he wouldn’t bring up the future again, she smiled. “You were right. Again. Dammit.”

Tobias tamped down on his disappointment as he realized Tris wanted to avoid talking about this week. “Told you,” he said, his voice deliberately light. They ate in silence again for a moment and Tobias decided that maybe it wasn’t a bad idea that he let the topic drop. He wasn’t sure himself what he wanted. He’d assumed that they would spend the week in bed and after that, they’d go their separate ways. But over the course of the week, he discovered he really liked Tris as more than just a favorite bed partner. She was fun, interesting, and intelligent—everything Uriah said she was.

They kept up light conversation for the rest of dinner, neither of them broaching the topic most on their minds…what would happen next.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon everyone! I hope you all are staying healthy and safe out there. It’s time I take a moment to give the biggest of thank yous to my beta, Eunice339, without whom none of this would be possible. If you’re enjoying this, you have her to thank almost exclusively haha! Enjoy the chapter!

xXx

“Mm,” Tris leaned back into the soft, leather seat of the Audi, her eyes closed in bliss. “That was amazing.”

Tobias chuckled a little as he drove along the snowy road. “Yeah, it was. I’m glad you let me talk you into the panna cotta.”

“I’m normally a chocolate girl, but that was perfect.” Opening her eyes, she looked over at him. The play of shadows and light across Tobias’ face highlighted his features—the strong jaw, the straight nose, the high cheekbones. In the dim light, his eyes looked nearly black instead of that dark, startling blue. He’d let his beard grow since they’d been in Canada and once again, Tris marveled at how she generally disliked facial hair—except on him. Almost everything about him was an exception to her rules. _Could she just walk away from a man like that—one who had become not only a lover, but also a friend?_ she wondered.

Suddenly needing contact with him, Tris reached out and put her hand on his thigh. Tobias glanced down at her hand then over at her, amusement on his face. “You planning on doing something with that hand?”

Tris let her hand slide upwards a little, enjoying the clench of his muscles beneath her hand. “Hm, maybe. Have any suggestions?” She slid her hand up just a tiny bit more.

Tobias let out a wobbly chuckle as his foot pressed on the accelerator. “Yeah, but you might not want to go any higher unless you want to wind up driving down the mountain the hard way.”

“Mm, _hard_ ,” she purred, wiggling her fingers on his thigh.

“Jesus, Tris…” he groaned and she laughed heartily.

“Okay, okay,” she moved her hand and he frowned at the loss. Instead, Tris let her hands rest in her lap for a moment before sliding her skirt up just a bit as she crossed her legs. “Is that better?” she asked innocently.

Tobias glanced over, hungrily eyeing the expanse of leg showing between the cranberry red of her skirt and the black, leather boot. “Are you trying to wreck us?”

With a throaty laugh, she uncrossed then re-crossed her legs towards him. “Maybe I’m just giving you a little something to look forward to when we get back to the cabin.”

“We still have a while to get there,” he pointed out, even as he increased the car’s speed.

Tris shifted in her seat, inching a bit closer to him, letting her dress slide up to dangerous levels. She grinned at how often his eyes darted over to her, dividing them between her legs and the road. Deciding to push the envelope a little more, Tris unbuttoned her coat and wiggled out of it. “This car is so comfortable. It’s actually getting a little…hot, don’t you think?”

He groaned to her amusement, “You’re fucking killing me.”

They weren’t far from the cabin, so Tris risked trailing her fingers lightly over his thigh again. “You can get us back quickly, can’t you?”

He gave her another glance and then firmly fixed his eyes on the road. It hadn’t snowed in days and the roads were perfectly clear and dry. Tobias knew the route to the cabin well, so he decided the hell with it and floored the accelerator. Next to him, Tris let out a low chuckle and leaned over to whisper into his ear.

“Hurry.”

Tobias was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, he was sure he’d leave permanent dents in the leather. “I go any faster,” he growled, “and I’m gonna wreck the car.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that. It’ll interfere with my plans for you,” she cooed, her tongue coming out to lightly lick his earlobe. Tobias let out a sound that was not quite human and whipped the car around the curve onto the road winding up the mountain towards the cabin. Thanks to the speed of his maneuver, Tris slid a little away from him and let out a delighted laugh. She didn’t think she’d ever gotten under a man’s skin so completely before and it gave her a heady sense of power.

Leaning down, Tris pulled off one boot then the other. Tobias’ eyes widened in the dark. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Just getting comfortable.” Tris stretched out her legs, enjoying the tightening of his jaw, and decided to take things just a bit further. Sliding her hands up her legs, she pushed her skirt up until she could reach the top of her pantyhose. Her lips curved when she heard Tobias make a choked sound and she began working the nylon down her legs.

“Mother of God,” he gasped as Tris allowed the silky hose to drop slowly from her hands.

“Ah, that’s better.” Tris sighed as she crossed her now bare legs.

Tobias fumbled at the sun visor, groping for the garage door opener. Tris hadn’t realized they were so close but when the car turned into the driveway, a spurt of excitement raced through her. Tobias punched the button repeatedly until they finally got close enough for the door to open. When it did, Tobias floored the accelerator, racing up the driveway then slammed on the brakes so that the car came to a screeching halt in the garage. He punched the button on the garage door opener again, dropping it on the console as the door smoothly began its descent and yanked off his seat belt. Before Tris could say a word, Tobias unbuckled her seatbelt too then grabbed her and hauled her across the console, his lips descending on hers.

He didn’t kiss her as much as devour her. The grip he had around her waist was nearly crushing as he kissed her fiercely. His lips trailed down her throat as he growled, “You’re lucky I didn’t fucking kill us.”

Tris groaned, doing her best to reach inside his coat to pull up his sweater. “I had every confidence in your skills.” She gasped briefly as he sucked the delicate skin of her shoulder, but continued to trail her hands down his stomach to frantically begin unbuckling his belt and unfastening his pants.

“Oh, baby, I’ve got skills you haven’t even dreamed of,” he said, his voice so low and gravelly Tris barely recognized it. Pulling her against him, his lips descended once again on hers and Tris sank into him, shifting so that she sat across his lap, her legs dangling over the center console. Suddenly, Tris felt herself falling forward and she gave a small, startled yelp. Tobias chuckled against her lips as he continued to lean the seat back as far as it would go. He settled her firmly against him, his mouth playing with hers, his hand cupping the back of her neck. They kissed, their lips parting and coming back together, as though drawn together by an invisible force. Tris trailed her hands as far down his chest as she could, doing her best to reach under his sweater, desperate to touch his skin. She groaned as she felt his strong hands trail up her thighs and push her skirt even further upward. Tobias allowed his lips to glide down, sucking the delicate skin of her neck into his mouth as his hand urged her legs apart and slipped beneath the lace of her underwear.

Tris gasped, throwing her head back as Tobias’ lips nibbled her neck and his fingers played her body as easily as he would an instrument. With her hands suddenly paused on the bare skin of his waist, her hips began moving in counterpoint to his questing fingers. It was as if her body was tuned to his touch—eager for it, even—and before she was ready, pinpricks of electricity began tingling along her nerve endings. With her eyes closed, Tris let loose a long moan.

Tobias watched her, loving the look on her face as she drowned in her pleasure. His own nerves were stretched taut—his entire body straining with the desire to lay her flat and bury himself deeply inside her. Tris opened her eyes and gave him a slow smile. Lust unfurled deep in his stomach as she shifted so that she was perched on her knees on the passenger seat. Deliberately moving slowly, Tris reached down and finished unbuttoning his pants then slowly slid down the zipper. Tobias held his breath as she gave him another slow smile and lowered her head to his lap.

“Fuck…” Tobias moaned as Tris’ warm lips wrapped around him. One hand was wrapped around the door handle in a death grip while his other tangled around the long, blonde locks in his lap. He gulped air like he was running a race and knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold out, so he gently pushed her head away. “We need to get inside.” At her nod, he released her abruptly and pushed open the car door. Tucking himself into his pants, he hurried around to the other side of the car, yanking open the door and held out his hand to her. Tris looked up at him, his dark blue eyes burning with such intense desire it made her stomach jump. She placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her out of the car.

Her bare feet hit the freezing floor and she gave a little yelp, having forgotten that she’d kicked off her boots earlier. Tobias gave a low chuckle and pulled her into his arms, lifting her feet off the floor. “Better?” he teased, closing the car door with a slight kick of his foot. In response, Tris wound her legs around his waist and lowered her head until her lips were just brushing his.

“Much,” she murmured as she rubbed her lips against his. Tobias stumbled towards the door, releasing one hand from under her bottom only long enough to push open the inside door to the cabin. He leaned her against the wall opposite the door, kissing her fiercely but she wiggled against him so he released her. The moment her feet hit the floor, she began pushing off his pants as he hiked up the skirt of her dress. Tobias hauled her into his arms again and bracing her against the wall, plunged inside her.

Tris bumped her head against the wall as she threw it back, biting down on her lips as pleasure arrowed through her center. Tobias leaned his head forward, tugging her bottom lip into his mouth as he began to move rapidly. Tris squeezed him tightly, her legs wrapped around him as they moved together frantically. It was clear to both of them that neither one would last long for this first round, so they pushed each other faster and farther until they both gasped and rode the wave together.

Tobias gently lowered her to the floor, his heart racing, pressing his forehead to hers while they caught their breaths. After a moment, Tris looked up at him. “Tell me we’re not done,” she said lowly and smiled when she felt Tobias stir against her.

“Not even close.”

“Good,” she grabbed his hand and they ran, as best they could given their disheveled clothes, into the bedroom. They undressed hurriedly, racing each other then breaking into laughter as Tris struggled with her bra hook while Tobias nearly tripped as he tried to pull off his socks with his feet. Clothes flew around the room as they stripped, Tris feeling light and free in a way she rarely ever was. She didn’t think she’d ever had this much fun with a man before. Finally naked, Tris hopped on the bed, pulling Tobias over her. Amusement turned into white-hot lust when Tobias bent his head to take her breast deeply into his mouth. Tris arched her chest up, pushing herself further into his mouth as she tangled her fingers through his wavy, dark hair. She allowed herself to bask in the sensual sensation of Tobias’ mouth pulling heavily at her nipple. After paying equal attention to the other breast, Tobias began to work his way down her chest when Tris stopped him. Raising his head, he looked at her in askance and Tris smiled.

“No, I want you now.”

Tobias grinned and slowly covered her body with his. He caught her gaze and held it, staring deeply in her eyes. Tris felt her breathing increase as she read the fierce desire in his eyes…along with something more. Before she could worry too much about the unknown emotion she sensed in his look, Tobias suddenly reached down, hitched one of her knees over his arm and slid silkily inside her. Her breath caught and she was willing to admit to herself that the sensation of Tobias, hard and hot inside her, was quite possibly the best thing she’d ever felt.

The edge had been taken off with their earlier encounter against the hallway wall, so Tobias was free to take his time with her—and take his time he did. He drew out his strokes, withdrawing so slowly Tris thought she’d lose her mind. So she began moving with him, hoping to encourage him to a faster pace, but he stubbornly refused, sliding in and out as if he had all the time in the world. She moaned, afraid she would spontaneously combust from the heat, and leaned forward to bury her face in his neck. This time it was Tobias who groaned as Tris suckled on the skin of his neck. Taking advantage of his distraction, she pushed him, encouraging him to flip over.

She gave him a smug smile as she settled on top of him, straddling him. “My turn,” she teased, her voice a husky imitation of itself. Tobias’ laugh turned into a groan as Tris tightened her muscles around him and undulated her hips against his. She started out slowly, but gradually built up speed as her own desire took firm control. She leaned over him, her hands braced on his chest, shuddering as he ground against her. Tobias grasped her hips, pushing them impossibly closer, determined to make her feel every inch of him. He loved how tightly she held him, loved how she moved against him, loved the tiny sighs and gasps that escaped her lips involuntarily. Tobias knew, without a doubt, he’d never felt like this with any woman before.

Driven by a desire to be as close to her as he could, Tobias suddenly sat up, pulling Tris against his chest. She rearranged her legs around him and he cupped her behind in his large hands. The change in position ground him against her at just the right angle and Tris’ tiny gasps quickly increased in volume. He could tell she was close; she just needed a little more to push her over the edge. Kissing her deeply, he squeezed her buttocks tightly and sharply angled his hips inside her. Tris gasped, clutching his shoulders as her body locked in a paroxysm of ecstasy. The strong contractions of her muscles milking him tightly pulled Tobias over the edge too and he tumbled into nirvana with her.

They leaned against each other, panting—each trying desperately to gain control of the emotions raging through them. Tobias hugged her tightly to him and after several long moments, tumbled them onto their sides, pulling her to lie across his chest. Tris settled in, listening to the beating of his heart as it thumped in time with hers. He stroked her hair and was positive he heard her give a contented purr. He smiled sleepily, feeling more content himself than he’d ever felt before.

xXx

Morning came much earlier than Tobias wanted. He'd managed to push the inevitable away temporarily as he squeezed out a few more stolen moments with Tris, sleepily making love to her again in the early morning light. All too soon, however, the sun was high in the sky and it was time for Tris to pack up. He watched, leaning against the doorjamb as she folded the laundry she’d done the day before into her suitcase.

“When is the car coming?” he asked.

Tris glanced at the clock, “In about fifteen minutes.”

“How long will you be in Toronto?”

“Another few days,” she said, placing the last of her tops into the suitcase. “Susan set up a group fitting for the bridesmaids tomorrow and my mom is flying in this afternoon.”

He forced a smile, pushing down the feeling of disappointment that had been with him since he’d awakened. “I’m sure you’re going to love that.”

Tris laughed a little. “This wedding is becoming bigger than the invasion of a small country, but we’ll survive.” She zipped up her bag and finally turned to face him. They stood, staring at each other, each unsure what to say for the first time all week. “I had fun this week,” she said quietly.

“So did I.” Tobias felt slightly sick with uncertainty. He didn’t want to let her go. When he’d impulsively invited her to spend a week with him, Tobias had assumed they’d spend most of that time naked and when it was over, they’d walk away as friends, happy to see each other whenever their families got together. Now, he could see how wrong he was but he had no idea how she felt. The sex between them was as spectacular now as it had been that insane Thanksgiving night and showed no signs of fading. Tobias wanted more of it, more of her, but Tris hadn’t signaled her interest in anything more than the casual relationship they’d somehow fallen into. He pushed the awkward feeling aside and decided to take a chance. “I don’t want this to be the end,” he said gruffly.

Tris looked down at her shoes for a moment and Tobias felt his heart plunge. When she raised her head, she whispered, “Neither do I.”

Relief rushed through him. “Okay. Good.”

“You’re heading back to London tomorrow, aren’t you?” At his nod, she shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to figure out when we can try to get together again.”

“We’ll figure out something. In the meantime, there’s always phone sex,” he joked, feeling much more at ease now that he knew she didn’t want this morning to have been the last time they made love either.

She laughed, as he’d intended. “Phone sex?” she asked skeptically.

Tobias stepped forward, stopping right in front of her. “You think I can’t make you come with my voice?” he asked, his voice becoming a deep, husky rumble that danced along her nerve endings.

She shook her head. “No, I think you might be able to. But the question is, can I make you come first?”

With a growl, he pulled her to him and began kissing her firmly. He wondered if they had enough time to continue and nearly groaned out loud when her phone chimed, indicating her car had arrived.

Tris took a step back and pushed back her hair. “To be continued,” she said.

“Count on it.” He reached over and picked up her suitcase, then on impulse held his hand out to her. Tris hesitated for a moment—she wasn’t much on handholding—but then brought her hand up to twine her fingers with his. They walked to the front door and Tobias opened it, taking her suitcase out to the car while Tris bundled herself in her coat. He met her back at the doorway. “Be safe, Tris,” he whispered, bending to kiss her one last time.

“Have a good flight,” she returned and walked, a little unsteadily, to the back of the car. Once she was inside, she turned to look back at him. He was standing at the entryway to the cabin, his dark hair tousled and his hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his jeans. They held eye contact until the car pulled away and rounded the corner, breaking their connection. Turning to enter the house, Tobias wondered, _how long_.


	13. April Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope everyone out there is safe, healthy and happy. We are entering a new phase for our story; from here, there’s more original content than previous one-shots! I’m sorry if I confused anyone with posting the previous one-shots again; it was the only way I could weave together all the new content…I should have posted an explanation…whoops! There are really only two more one-shots left to incorporate so most of what you’ll read in coming weeks is brand new! I hope you enjoy it!

13

Nita swept into the newsroom of _Inside New York_ and took a deep breath. As much as she had enjoyed her luxuriously long weekend in Canada with Fernando, there was nothing that beat the pulsing chaos of the newsroom. Some reporters lounged in their cubicle chairs talking on the phone while others typed furiously on their computers and interns scurried about. The scent of fresh coffee mixed in with paper and printer ink—there were still plenty of reporters who liked to edit on paper—all combined to fill Nita with a sense of home. She was never happier than when she was in the thick of the action in the newsroom.

She made her way to her own corner cubicle, tucking her oversized Kate Spade bag into the narrow locker after removing her cell phone and laptop, and sunk into her comfy office chair. With a slight smile, she looked around her space. Her column was popular enough that she could have rated one of the smaller offices but Nita didn’t want one of the tiny, windowless rooms. No, until she rated one of the large offices with sweeping windows, she was content with the corner cube, one that was coveted not only for its size but also for its view overlooking downtown Manhattan. It was larger than the other cubicles in the room as it was technically two cubes with the dividing partition removed so one leg of her L-shaped desk was open for easy discussions with her colleagues.

As usual, her ruthlessly organized desk was squeaky clean and dust-free thanks to the extra twenty bucks she regularly slipped to the cleaning staff manager. On the one side were low bookshelves lining the wall beneath the windows. They were functional, holding the chargers for her cell phone and laptop as well as a top-of-the-line Keurig coffee and espresso machine with a small refrigerator tucked into the shelf beneath it. In contrast, the fabric-covered walls of her cubicle on the other side were more elaborately decorated with pictures of her with various celebrities as well as a few framed copies of her biggest articles. The crystal desk organizer at the center with her penholder, tape dispenser, and notepad gleamed under the bright white cubicle lights.

She was a creature of habit and her morning routine was no different. First, she plugged in her electronics, booted-up her desk computer, slipped a pod into her Keurig, and then checked her voicemails. She made notes on whose call to return and whose she could ignore while her email opened. Then scanning quickly, she began to triage her batch of emails—moving email after email into her well-organized digital filing system, first marking those with red or yellow flags depending on their importance.

There were plenty of hot tips to follow up on, but she had one of her own to tug. Doctoring her coffee with sugar and nondairy, non-fat creamer, she reached into her bag for the burner cell phone she reserved for one particular source. She hit the redial button and leaned back to sip while the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Good morning.” Nita smiled at the terse sound of Sarah’s voice. Nita knew Sarah hated when she called during work but Nita enjoyed needling her. Sarah was a good source for information on Prior-Eaton but the woman was abrasive and snobby, and truthfully, Nita just didn’t like her.

“What can I do for you?” Sarah’s voice was cool, detached, and professional.

“I need you to keep an eye out for me.”

“That is our normal agreement.”

Nita’s eyes narrowed at the professionally delivered snark. “Listen, you told me there was nothing going on with Beatrice Prior and Tobias Eaton.”

“And I stand by that statement.”

Leaning back in her chair, Nita sipped her coffee. “Well, I have information that Tobias was seen with a woman who closely resembles Beatrice Prior at an exclusive ski resort in Canada just this weekend.”

There was silence on the line and Nita let it ride, enjoying the image of shock that must be on Sarah’s face. “I have no information that supports that.”

Nita sighed, annoyed. “Well, since I sincerely doubt you can afford such a place, I didn’t expect you to know from first-hand experience.” It was a cheap shot but Nita smirked when she heard Sarah’s intake of breath. “However, I need you to confirm for me that Eaton was in Canada this weekend. Can you at least do that?”

After another brief pause, Sarah responded, “Yes, I believe I can. I have a meeting with him in about 45 minutes.”

Keeping the surprise out of her voice, Nita responded, “My information has him in London by now.”

“Last minute change of plans.” Sarah’s voice lowered. “Marcus required an in-person meeting before he would release a new infusion of funds for the charity, so he stopped here before he leaves the country again.”

“Excellent. Let me know as soon as you find out if he was there.” Nita hit the end button with satisfaction. There was smoke with this story and where there was smoke, there was fire. Tobias Eaton and Beatrice Prior were now firmly in her sights.

xXx

Sarah checked her appearance in the full-length mirror of the ladies’ room near the Prior-Eaton executive boardroom. Smoothing her hands down the gray pencil skirt, she was pleased with the combination of it and the long-sleeved, cream-colored blouse. The pleats were professional but still allowed a slight glimpse of her cleavage. As she tucked a lock of her red hair back into the loose bun, she smiled happily. She’d deliberately been light with her make-up, attempting to re-create what Tris had done during the Thanksgiving Gala. Maybe she could lure Tobias with a more conservative look, putting her and Tris on equal footing. With all physical things being equal, he would surely be more interested in a professional woman than a rich laze-about.

Ever since Thanksgiving, she’d been wondering if she had made a tactical error by coming on too strongly with him. Pulling back and luring him in with her competence and intelligence might be a better strategy. Unfortunately, Tobias had been traveling quite a bit so Sarah hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with him. Using his absence to her advantage, though, she had convinced her manager that she would be the best liaison between Helping Hands and the corporate accounts. This would be the first of several meetings to strategize the corporate giving program and Sarah was convinced their working relationship would smoothly transition to a private one. And even if it didn’t, she reasoned, they would be working closely enough together that she would be able to provide insider information to Nita. Sarah was determined to secure her financial position and Nita’s money would certainly help get her there if she couldn’t seduce Tobias.

Picking up her leather portfolio, she exited and strode to the conference room in her brand new silver, peep-toe, Louboutin pumps. They’d cost a pretty penny but she’d been unable to get the image of those gorgeous Jimmy Choo shoes of Tris’ out of her mind. Pushing open the door to one of the smaller conference rooms, Sarah smirked when she saw Tobias sitting alone at the table. As she’d anticipated, he was a few minutes early for the meeting.

“Good morning, Tobias,” she said briskly.

Tobias’ eyes flicked up and he gave her a tight smile. “Good morning, Sarah.” He looked back down at the papers spread in front of him.

Settling into the seat next to him, she opened her portfolio and pretended to get herself organized. “Did you have a nice weekend?” she asked casually.

“Yes, thank you.”

Sarah clenched her jaw and tried to think about how to get him to open up to her. “I came by your office with a potential client last week,” she said impulsively. “He was interested in Helping Hands and I wanted to introduce you, but you were out.”

“I was on vacation last week,” he replied shortly, his eyes still scanning what appeared to be expense reports.

“Oh, anywhere interesting?”

Before he could answer, Johanna came bustling into the room, her assistant, Patrick, with her. “Good morning, good morning,” she said cheerfully. Tobias looked up with a much more genuine smile as Johanna and Patrick took their seats, followed by representatives from accounting and legal. Sarah clenched her teeth at the missed opportunity. There was no way she could engage him in a personal conversation with half a dozen people in the room. At least she could confirm to Nita that Tobias had been on vacation last week, even if she couldn’t confirm where he was. Maybe as things went on, he would mention it. He and Johanna were very friendly and if she were lucky, they’d engage in a little casual chit-chat.

“All right, everyone, good morning.” He glanced at the clock. “Let’s go ahead and get started. I’m leaving for London this evening so we’ll have to make this quick.” Sarah sighed as she realized her opportunity for any more personal information had just been dashed. He was clearly going to be all business now. She turned her attention back to business at hand as Tobias leaned forward and began the meeting.

xXx

Tobias buttered a crumpet and reached for the homemade strawberry jam, spreading more than a little on top. He bit in with relish and smiled as Mary, the Eatons’ longtime maid, placed another basket of them in front of him. She smiled indulgently and subtly patted him on his shoulder. Brunch at his parents’ was a long-standing expectation on Sundays when he was in London and the best part was the food. Nicolette, their chef, was a wonder in the kitchen—so much so that Marcus Eaton took her with him whenever he traveled for longer than a couple of weeks. In fact, Marcus’ regard for Nicolette’s cooking was so great that he’d never tried to sleep with her.

Even though it was only for the three of them, the brunch spread was elaborate with rashers of bacon and sausage accompanied by the fluffiest, scrambled eggs. Crumpets and glossy danishes bookended plates of grilled tomatoes and roasted mushrooms. And finally, bowls of beans and sliced fresh fruit surrounded a large tea service. If he was forced to spend Sunday morning with his parents, at least the food was amazing. Tobias refreshed his tea, adding a dollop of milk. So far, brunch had been a quiet affair, mostly because Marcus’ head was buried in his tablet and Evelyn hadn’t yet descended from upstairs as she’d arrived from France late the evening before. Tobias knew it was too much to expect that he’d be able to get through brunch without seeing her at all, but a man could hope.

Tobias barely stifled a sigh and instead concentrated on cutting his sausage when he heard his mother enter the formal dining room. He did love his mother but he really wasn’t in the mood to endure further questioning about his vacation. Evelyn had been extraordinarily put out that he’d delayed his trip to England in order to spend a week in Canada. He didn’t regret it, of course; the week with Tris had been worth every second of Evelyn’s annoyed interrogation. However, he wasn’t ready to deal with it again.

“Good morning, darling,” Evelyn said as Tobias stood. She lifted her cheek to receive Tobias’ kiss then breezed past him and settled into her chair at the center of the table. She glanced over at Marcus who looked up briefly as she settled down. “Marcus,” she acknowledged, her voice without warmth.

“Evelyn,” he returned equally formal then bent his head back down to his tablet. Tobias was far too used to their chilly greetings to notice and he simply spooned more eggs onto his plate, adding tomatoes and mushrooms.

“You know, I’m thrilled to have you home, Tobias,” Evelyn began, serving herself fruit and a small helping of eggs. “Are you sure you can’t stay more than a couple of weeks?”

Tobias shook his head as he ate his roasted tomatoes. “I’m sorry, Mom, but remember, Dad asked me to attend Caleb and Beatrice’s birthday celebration in his place.” He did his best to keep his voice even. He didn’t want his parents to suspect he was more than happy to go to Chicago. Their trip to Canada had solidified to him that what he and Tris had was just for them and Tobias had no intention of letting anyone else know about it.

Pouring tea into the delicate China cup, Evelyn sighed loudly. “It’s an annoyance but we do have to maintain family harmony.” She shot a look of pure dislike at Marcus, who wasn’t paying her any attention. “In any event, I’ve gotten you a ticket for the opening night of the ballet with us tomorrow. We’ll meet the Pickingtons for dinner beforehand, remember we share box seats with them, then you can escort Myra to a cocktail party afterward. There will be plenty of influential people there for you to discuss the charity with.”

Tobias’ fork had frozen halfway to his mouth when Evelyn mentioned him attending the cocktail party with Myra Pickington. “Excuse me? What cocktail party?”

Evelyn delicately speared a piece of melon. “There is a cocktail reception following the ballet for those of us with season tickets. We thought it would be the perfect time for you and Myra to make a debut together.”

“What debut? What are you talking about, Mom? Myra and I aren’t together.”

Pouring herself tea, Evelyn waved that away. “You and Myra will look wonderful together and it will round out our little party nicely. Lord and Lady Pickington, you and Myra, your father and me.” Evelyn shot a look at Marcus, who was dividing his attention between his tablet and his cell phone now. Evelyn rolled her eyes slightly and doctored her tea with milk. “It will be lovely. As you are aware, Helena and I are great friends and Myra loves the ballet. And I’m sure you will have plenty of time to speak with John about a donation for the charity, too.”

“Mom—”

“I’ve already told Myra you’d be happy to escort her. She was very excited,” Evelyn said before sipping her tea, clearly signaling that as far as she was concerned, the topic was closed.

Tobias clenched his jaw. “Well, you’ve boxed me in rather neatly, haven’t you? If I back out now, I will look like an asshole and alienate members of the British nobility who could add weight to any future charitable efforts.”

Evelyn smirked, her expression smug. “Really, Tobias, watch your language.”

“Fuck my language,” he snarled, shoving away from the table.

“Where do you think you are going?” Evelyn demanded, rising from the table. Marcus glanced up and after determining he didn’t want to be involved in yet another battle between his wife and son, returned to reading the financial page of the newspaper on his tablet.

“Back to my apartment,” Tobias said, not waiting for the butler and yanked his jacket out of the closet himself.

Evelyn stood blocking the doorway, her hands on her hips. “We’ve discussed this, Tobias. You have responsibilities and you have to stop running from them. Leaving right now will not change what you must do.”

Tobias stared at Evelyn coldly as he slid past her. “I’m leaving before I say something I’ll regret,” he snapped back and slammed out of the house.

xXx

_She wheeled her suitcase towards the exit, scanning the white cards held by various drivers for her name. Finally, she spotted it,_ Gabriella Seymour _. She looked up from the sign and into the gorgeous face of the man holding it. He was well over six feet tall with wavy dark hair, dusky gold skin, broad shoulders, a firm jaw and dark brown eyes. Gabriella let her eyes travel down his lean, muscular frame, enrobed in a well-tailored black suit. He wasn’t wearing a tie and his crisp, white shirt was unbuttoned at the throat. The effect was business casual and completely sexy. When her eyes traveled back to his amazing face, she found him smirking at her._

_“Gabriella Seymour? I’m Thomas Eastman from Seymour Pharmaceuticals,” he said, drawing Gabriella’s attention to his full lips. His voice was deep, just on the edge of gravelly and tinged with an American accent. Gabriella was a little surprised as Helen rarely hired Americans and usually had no regard for the looks of her employees. Either her Aunt Helen’s taste was improving or this man was much more than just a simple errand boy. Maybe going straight to the office wasn’t such a bad thing after all. She hoisted her bag further up her shoulder and held out a hand. “Well, hello, Mr. Eastman. I am indeed Gabriella Seymour.”_

_He took her hand in a firm grip that Gabriella admired. Many men often made the mistake of assuming she was delicate and wouldn’t shake her hand properly. The impression usually served her well, allowing people to underestimate her. But not him. Thomas seemed to be unintimidated by her underlying strength. She wondered briefly if he knew what she really did for Helen._

_“Your aunt sent me to pick you up.”_

_Gabriella’s lips curved into a smile. “Well, by all means then, pick me up.”_

_He gave her a wicked answering grin that sent images of tangled bodies and steamy nights tumbling through Gabriella’s mind. He reached down for the handle of her suitcase, his eyes never leaving hers. She wasn’t one for romanticizing, but there was something about this man that was absolutely magnetic. From the admiring gleam in his eyes, she guessed the feeling was mutual._

_“Shall we?” Thomas gestured to the exit door where she expected the company limousine would be waiting._

_Gabriella wound her arm through his. “Oh, yes, Mr. Eastman, indeed we shall.”_

Tris sat back in her chair, chewing on her lip as she re-read the paragraphs she was editing. Sure, Thomas was sexy—Tris had deliberately written him that way—but did she really want to put him with Gabriella romantically? Wasn’t their relationship just sex? She’d deliberately written their first meeting as fun and flirty before growing that into a more complex relationship and adding a red-hot sexual component to their clandestine operational activity. He was helping her solve her parents’ murders and she was helping him take down her aunt’s drug smuggling operation. Tris had added the zip of attraction and the sex as a spicy subplot to her book, but it had taken on a life of its own. Now that she was close to the end, she needed to decide if she was going to have her main characters actually commit to each other.

She sighed and wondered if she was putting too much of her own life into her book. If she were being honest with herself, she’d hoped the week in Canada with Tobias would have burned him out of her system but it didn’t seem to have happened. He was still on her mind, almost constantly now. _That’s because I am using him as a resource,_ she tried to tell herself. They’d spoken several times since leaving Canada, emailing and texting chapters back and forth and spending hours on the phone late into the night; the talks usually starting about her book but then morphing into every topic they could think of. Now that he was in London, she wasn’t expecting to hear from him for several weeks and the thought of that was vaguely depressing.

Pushing away from her desk, Tris stood, intending to head downstairs for coffee when her cell phone rang. A spurt of pleasure shot through her when she saw Tobias’ name flash across the screen. Taking a deep breath, she firmly told herself to knock it off and answered her cell playfully, “Well, hello, Mr. Eaton.”

“Hey. Am I disturbing you?”

Tris frowned at the stress she heard in his voice. “No, it’s fine. What’s wrong? You sound pissed.”

“Oh, I am. My mother is trying to set me up,” he spat out. Tris felt her breath catch but Tobias was so angry, he didn’t hear the slight hitch. “She is so goddamned determined to marry me off to someone she finds suitable that she just bulldozes over anything I want. Now, she’s finagled me into escorting one of her friends' daughter to the ballet and I can’t get out of it without looking like a fucking asshole and pissing off potential investors.”

Infusing her voice with false levity, Tris groaned. “Ugh, that sucks. What are you going to do?”

“Go. I don’t have any other choice.” Tobias paused. “Tris, I don’t want to go,” he added softly, sincerely.

“No, it doesn’t sound like it,” Tris replied, doing her best to push down the feeling of trepidation she felt at his soft tone. It wasn’t any of her business who he went out with, even if the thought made her vaguely nauseous. “So,” she said, pushing her own feelings aside, “who is the lucky lady?”

“Myra Pickington, daughter of Lord and Lady Pickington, Duke of Shrewsbury.”

“My, that sounds fancy. Let me guess, she’s been to finishing school, drinks tea in skirts that come just past her knees, and loves gardening,” Tris teased.

“It’s Britain, Tris, everyone drinks tea,” he replied dryly.

“She goes foxhunting and plays badminton too, doesn’t she?” Tris continued.

Tobias laughed. “Not to my knowledge,” he retorted and sighed. “What a fucking mess.”

“So, are you supposed to escort her to some grand ball in full tux and tails?”

“Not quite. We are all going to the ballet—both our parents and us. Then I’m supposed to take her to some cocktail party afterward. The bitch of it is, this would’ve been an excellent time to talk to some real money people about Helping Hands.”

“Then it sounds like a good thing…ultimately. It’ll be fine, Tobias. You just escort her around, give the woman some punch and drop her off with some of the other snooty, society women to gossip with then go rub elbows with the money. Easy peasy.”

Laughing again, Tobias felt a weight lift from his shoulders. “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course, I am. I always am.” He laughed and Tris found herself smiling. “Call me afterward and let me know what happened. I may use it as fodder for my book.”

Tobias’ voice softened again. “Thanks, Tris. I guess I just needed to talk to someone who knows what it’s like.”

“Yeah, I get it,” she said, her voice turning equally soft.

They let a companionable silence fall for a moment before Tobias said, “I should let you go. I’ll call you soon, okay?”

“Okay. Bye.” Tris ended the call and looked down at her phone; her emotions in a tangle she didn’t want to unravel. Shaking her head slightly, she returned back to her desk and moved her mouse back and forth to wake her computer up, intending to resume her writing. However, all she could do was stare at the Internet browser icon on the computer screen. She moved her mouse to hover over it. _I should just go back to my novel,_ she thought.

“Oh, fuck it,” she mumbled, clicking on the icon and began typing in _Myra Pickington, London, Duke of Shrewsbury_. As she’d expected, there were quite a few entries in various society columns. She smirked when she saw Myra’s name as a board member of a garden club. Tris clicked on an image of her and sighed. She looked exactly what she thought Myra would look like. Poised and elegant, the cool blonde was photographed with her parents at an art function. Opening the accompanying article, Tris’ eyes scanned it looking for all the information about the woman she could. Apparently, Myra was a corporate art buyer and her parents were huge patrons of the arts. Shaking her head, Tris closed the website. It was none of her business who Tobias dated, she reasoned. If that’s what he wanted, then so be it.

Unable to help herself, she opened a text thread and typed, _Found your girl. Art and gardening. Should have guessed._ As soon as she hit send, Tris regretted it. _Why in the world did I just let him know I’d looked up Myra?_ Annoyed with herself she started to push away from her desk again when her phone chimed. Biting her lip, she opened the text and smiled.

_Was she wearing white gloves?_

_Sure was._

_Figures. I’m going to be bored out of my mind._

Tris was barely aware that she was grinning from ear to ear. _Might not be so bad. Your parents will be there, right?_

_You’re not selling this for me._

Laughing out loud, Tris leaned back in her chair. _Aw, come on! Try a little optimism._

_Nope. Remember, I actually know Myra. She and I have nothing in common. I swear, if her dad weren’t a duke, my mother would have absolutely no interest._

_Ah ha! It all makes sense now!_

_Yeah, social climbing the good old fashioned way. That’s Evelyn for you._

Tris shook her head, sympathy overcoming amusement. His annoyance was settling her nerves. _Aren’t you interested in becoming nobility?_

_Not on your fucking life._

_It’ll be fine. I promise. It’s just one night._

_Yeah. When I get home, I’ll just hit the bottle to erase the memories._

_Whiskey?_

_Of course. Too bad I’ll be drinking alone._

Tris bit her lip, memories of that amazing first night tumbling over and over in her mind. She wanted to type, _Good, you’re mine,_ but stopped because the possessiveness she was feeling was beginning to make her nervous. She and Tobias just had sex. That was it. Taking a deep breath, she instead typed, _Give me a call. Maybe you don’t have to drink alone._

His reply was swift. _I’m going to hold you to that._


	14. April Pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! As much of the US is blanketed in snow and ice, I hope all of you are warm and safe. I give a special wish for our Texan friends who are just beginning to assess the damage…my thoughts are with you! I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

xXx

Standing in his parents’ main parlor, Tobias wondered why in the world he continued to let them rope him into doing things he didn’t want to do. He knew his mother had firmly set her sights on him marrying Myra Pickington and becoming the next Duke of Shrewsbury. Normally, such a thing wouldn’t happen, but in this case, Myra was the last of the line and rather than having the dukedom die out, Myra’s father had petitioned to have the title pass to Myra. Therefore, if he were to marry her, Tobias would end up a Duke by default. That was the last thing in the world he wanted.

Tobias prowled the room while waiting, finally stopping in front of the ornate mantle that held their framed family pictures. He stared at them, at the fake family in them. They’d never been close, he mused, as he looked at the photo he and his parents had taken when he’d graduated from the London School of Economics. Like all the others, it was a professional shot, each of them carefully staged and smiling fake smiles. His eyes shifted to the next frame, which happened to be Marcus and Evelyn’s wedding portrait. Tobias knew his mother had been pregnant with him at the time, early enough that it didn’t show in the fitted bodice of her gown. He’d wondered for years if they would have married if not for him. _How different would things have been?_

Tobias knew his parents had a complicated relationship. They’d spent more of their married lives apart than together, with Evelyn spending the majority of her time at their home in France than with Marcus. She flew to London or New York whenever she needed to, but even when they were in the same place, she and Marcus spent as much time apart as they could. They enjoyed showing off together, but at home they stayed in separate rooms and each had a series of lovers; Evelyn was more discreet, but it was hardly a secret to either Marcus or Tobias. _How could they live like that?_ he wondered. Their marriage was a sham—a business arrangement, really—and neither one seemed to care.

Marcus strode into the room first, making a beeline for the cut crystal decanter of single malt whiskey on the bar. “Your mother is still getting ready,” he sneered. “I swear that woman is never on time for anything.” He poured a generous amount into two highball glasses and held out one to Tobias. “Drink?”

Tobias crossed the room to accept it, wondering what it said that he and his father shared a love of a good whiskey. He took a drink and stared at his father. Marcus looked every inch the classic businessman; his tuxedo was perfectly tailored to his frame. His dark hair was attractively shot with white, lending him an air of dignity and wisdom, neither of which were characteristics Marcus actually possessed. He looked the part he played—respected businessman, husband, father, and pillar of the community.

Taking a healthy swallow Marcus frowned at his son’s scrutiny. “Is something wrong?” He looked down at himself making sure he still looked perfect.

Shaking his head, Tobias asked the question foremost on his mind. “Did you and Mom get married just for business?”

Marcus blinked, clearly taken aback. “What?”

“I know Granddad’s support was a serious business asset for Prior-Eaton. I’ve heard you say we never would have had an easy time with cruise lines docking in Baltimore without his support, but was marrying Evelyn part of that?”

Throwing back the last of his whiskey, Marcus stalled in answering by pouring another couple of fingers. “Why are you asking me this?”

Tobias shrugged, taking another healthy drink from his own glass. “Mom is doing her best to push me at Myra Pickington.”

“Ah, yes,” Marcus said in understanding. “Are you considering her?”

“I have no interest in Myra, but I know that Mom will not let the issue of marriage drop. I was wondering if that’s because of how you and she got together.”

Marcus sipped his whiskey this time, contemplating Tobias’ question. Tobias was no longer a child and Marcus didn’t see any point in treating him like one. “No, we didn’t get married just for business. It didn’t hurt,” he confessed, “but no that wasn’t the only reason. Evelyn was smart and canny when I met her. Her father may have been the union president – one of the few African American ones at that - but she had the respect of those dock workers in Baltimore. She helped her father run that union efficiently and she was only twenty at the time. I knew any woman like that would be an asset to me.” Marcus drank again. “Your mother was a beautiful woman, too—she was then, and she still is now.” He swirled the whiskey in the glass, watching the amber liquid swirl around, the dancing light from the crystal glittering. “She was also a determined woman. That passion was very attractive.”

“Did you love her?”

Marcus laughed. “Son, when you’re ready to get married, my advice is to put aside silly romantic notions and choose someone who can be an asset to you. Your mother is intelligent, beautiful and good with people; she was willing to be the kind of wife I needed.” He pointed the glass at Tobias. “Whomever you choose needs to understand that a good match is more enduring than love. The last thing you want is someone who will cause some sort of public scene when you indulge yourself.” Marcus drained his glass again, not noticing Tobias’ grimace at the idea of casually cheating in a marriage. “You could do worse than the Pickington girl,” he observed.

“No.”

Marcus shrugged. “Then be prepared for your mother’s relentless nagging.”

Tobias threw back his whiskey as Evelyn walked into the room. She frowned at him. “Tobias, I certainly hope you are still sober,” she said icily.

“It was just one drink, Evelyn,” Marcus practically rolled his eyes.

“We are meeting the Pickingtons and I will not have them thinking Tobias is some kind of lush,” she snapped.

Marcus laughed. “Oh, please, Evelyn, you know half these people are sloshed most of the time themselves. Leave off the boy. He’ll be photographed with the Pickington girl, as you want. Let him drink.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes and sighed in acquiescence. “Fine. How do I look?”

“Fine.” Marcus repeated back to Evelyn without looking.

Hoping to head off a potential sniping match, Tobias said, “You look lovely, Mom.” She did, indeed. The deep blue, satin gown was almost off of Evelyn’s shoulders framing her collarbones and providing a perfect canvas for the single strand, sapphire and diamond, collar necklace.

Softening, Evelyn smiled. “Thank you, darling.”

Marcus nodded. “Right, then. Let’s be off.”

Tobias followed his parents out to the limo. Blowing out a breath, he thought to himself, _this is going to be a long night._

xXx

It took all of Tobias’ control not to slam the door shut to his flat. Tugging off his bowtie, he walked straight back to his bedroom, flipping on the light. The soothing blue and gray tones of the room had him letting out a huge breath as though he’d been holding it all night. In many ways, he had. From the moment he’d left the apartment earlier in the evening, he’d felt the weight of his parents’ expectations on him. All evening, his mother made little comments—innuendos—about Tobias and Myra. If he’d hoped to find an ally in Myra as he had with Tris, he had been sorely disappointed. It was clear that she was all too receptive to the idea of them together and refused to take Tobias’ gentle hints to the contrary.

Tobias pulled off his tuxedo jacket, shirt and pants, shoving them into the basket his housekeeper designated for dry cleaning with a little more force than was necessary and heard a soft ping. Frowning, he looked down to see a small button from the snowy, white dress shirt on the hardwood floor next to the basket and he sighed at his carelessness. He then turned to the dresser and pulled on the handle harder than he’d intended, inadvertently yanking the drawer off its track. He wanted to growl in frustration but stopped and closed his eyes for a moment. Destroying his bedroom wasn’t going to change anything. Moving more carefully, he righted the drawer and pulled out his most comfortable pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Tobias dressed but found himself pacing around his bedroom restlessly. His mother wasn’t going to back off, that much was clear. She had her eyes set on Myra as his wife and she was going to be relentless about it. There was no way he was going to sleep in this condition, so he wandered into the living room. He thought about a whiskey but his stomach was still churning from the realization that his life was on the precipice of spinning out of his control. His mother was going to keep at him until he relented and he couldn’t stand the thought of the ensuing battle ahead with her. Deciding that tea was a better idea, Tobias went into the kitchen and put on the kettle.

Carefully taking down a mug, he stared at the choices of tea and decided on a simple peppermint. It should help settle his stomach and the last thing he needed at that moment was caffeine. Moving his head from side to side, he tried to relieve the tension he could feel brewing at the base of his head. He knew he needed to relax; he was prone to migraines if he didn’t. Taking a deep breath, he paced around the kitchen waiting for the water to boil, breathing in and out slowly to try and burn off the restlessness he felt. There was a gym downstairs on the first floor but Tobias just couldn’t muster up the energy. He was too tired to work out but too wound up to relax. When the kettle began to whistle, he poured the water carefully into the mug, dunking the tea bag a few times before letting it steep. After a moment, he picked up the mug and sipped.

He set the mug back down on the counter with a sigh, splashing some of the tea onto the counter. Rubbing his hands up and down over his face in frustration, he picked up the mug and took it back to his bedroom, placing it on the bedside table. He flopped onto the bed and looked over at his cell phone resting beneath the lamp. _I just need to hear her voice_ , he thought. _Even if she doesn’t answer, hearing her voice on her voicemail would be enough._ Snatching up the phone, he autodialed Tris’ number.

She picked up on the third ring. “Hey, isn’t it like 1 AM there?” As predicted, the sound of her voice acted like a balm to his frazzled nerves.

He sighed heavily. “Yeah. I couldn’t sleep.”

“How was your date?” Tris asked, her voice carefully neutral.

Tobias sighed again. “I hated every minute of it.”

Tris wanted to laugh, to tell him he was exaggerating, but she could hear the sincerity in his voice. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“My mom spent the entire evening dropping hints about me and Myra. Lady Pickington would join in and Myra would giggle. Jesus, it was like they’d already decided we were getting married tomorrow. It was all I could do to get out of breakfast and a trip to the museum with Myra for some opening.”

“How did you get out of it?”

“I told them I had an early meeting with the solicitor. I don’t think my mother believed me, though. She spent the rest of dinner shooting daggers at me with her eyes.” He sighed. “I had to agree to stay a few days longer so I can go with my mother to some charity auction on Saturday. I have a feeling Myra is going to be there too.”

Tris was silent for a moment. “Tobias, why do you keep doing this?” she asked gently. “I know they’re your parents and I’m hardly one to talk, but you’re miserable.”

“I need to stay on their good sides for a while,” he confessed. “I have a plan.”

“Dare I ask?”

Tobias chuckled a little. “Nothing nefarious. I’m planning on breaking Helping Hands away from Prior-Eaton.”

“What? How?”

“I want it to be a standalone non-profit, something that can operate without funding solely from Prior-Eaton. If it is an independent organization, we won’t have to worry about getting board approval for everything. We can solicit donations from multiple sources, operate in more places, even open satellite offices. I’ve been laying the groundwork for the past year with the donation of the _Temperance_ , Stephanie’s show, the magazine interviews—all to build the charity’s brand. I want to have a good reputation established when I begin soliciting new investors. I want people to be lining up to donate—to be associated with Helping Hands.”

Tris was seriously impressed. She knew the charity was his initiative but she had no idea he was so serious about it. “That’s incredible!” she exclaimed. “I had no idea your plans were so grand.”

“The model-obsessed playboy makes good, huh?” he teased.

She snorted. “That is so far from reality, it’s incredible anyone ever believed that.”

Even though she couldn’t see it, Tobias shrugged. “The image helped me for a while,” he said. “My parents just assumed I was sowing my wild oats, or some shit, while I was able to make contacts in the entertainment industry. Lauren, my ex, used to tell me how many of the actors, musicians, and artists she dealt with were happy to drop all kinds of cash on charitable endeavors. She was absolutely right. I even met people at the UN through her.”

“So, you didn’t mind people thinking you were shallow?”

Tobias laughed. “No! Actually I enjoyed it. When I would go into a business meeting or a negotiation with someone who thought I was just a bored, rich kid playing at philanthropy, I would shock them so much that they didn’t realize I was negotiating a deal that benefited me more than them.”

“Wow, that’s pretty diabolical!” Tris laughed with him. “I’m impressed.”

“Thanks.” They sat in companionable silence for a moment.

“Tobias, don’t let your parents deter you from what you want,” Tris said quietly. “Your goals are amazing and I know you’ll do it.”

A slow smile spread across Tobias’ face. _This was why I called her,_ he realized; _her unquestioning support was exactly what I needed to hear._ “Thanks, Tris. I guess I needed to hear that. Spending an entire day in my parents’ presence tends to throw me off.”

“Well, I’m here whenever you need a reminder of who you really are.”

“Enough about me,” he said. “How was your day? How’s the book going?”

As she talked about the new additions to her book, Tobias felt the tension flowing out of him. Talking to her centered him, allowed him to push his parents’ voices out of his head so he could focus. With a contented sigh, he turned his attention fully to her and couldn’t wait until he would be able to see her again.

xXx

Hitting the mat with a thud knocked the breath out of Tris after her legs were swept out from under her. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she looked up at the man standing over her with a frown.

“You aren’t paying attention.” Max crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her. The former Army Senior Drill Sergeant may have been long retired but he still drilled Tris like she was an E-1 Private.

“I’m sorry, sensei.” Tris scrambled to her feet, straightening her white gi and red cloth belt. She took her stance in front of Max but he didn’t move. “I’ll pay better attention.” She nodded in emphasis, pushing thoughts of Tobias with that British socialite from her mind. Her call with Tobias the previous evening had lasted nearly two hours and after they’d hung up, she found herself missing him. Hearing that he’d had a terrible time at the ballet gave her a warm feeling, one she wasn’t at all sure she liked. They were friends—that was all they should be—but sometimes, she wondered if that was all she really wanted.

Max’s expression changed from disappointed to concerned. “Beatrice, may I offer a personal opinion?”

Tris looked at him in surprise. In the five years he’d worked for the Prior family and had been training Tris in martial arts, he’d never once offered a personal opinion. “Please.”

“You have been quite distracted recently.” He shifted his weight from one side to another, slightly ill at ease. Talking about feelings, about personal issues, didn’t come easily to him. “I know you went out of town while your parents were in London.” When she gave a quick motion of surprise, he smiled, his dark brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything to your parents. You’re an adult, you can go where you please.” He grew serious again. “But, since you’ve been back, you’ve been more subdued. Is everything all right? Are you in trouble?”

Smiling, Tris shook her head. “No, Max, everything is fine. I’m just…” she paused, searching for the right words. She certainly wasn’t going to say anything about Tobias. And besides, he wasn’t on her mind—well, not exactly. “I’m just not very comfortable with what my parents expect of me,” she confessed partially. It was hardly a secret, so if Max did mention something to her parents—something she doubted he would—it wouldn’t reveal what was really going on with her. “I have my own dreams. Ones that I’m not sure they’d like. They’ve been pushing more lately and I’m feeling…cornered.”

Max’s expression cleared and he nodded slowly. “My mother didn’t want me to enlist in the military,” he confided. “She wanted me to go to college but I wasn’t interested in the least.” He laughed a little. “I ended up going while I was enlisted but it was years later. Pleasing our parents is something we all want to do but, ultimately, we have to please ourselves first.” He paused then said, “If you don’t want to work for your father, you shouldn’t have to.”

Tris let out a surprised sound. “Is it that obvious?”

Max laughed. “Yeah, it is. And Mr. Prior isn’t exactly subtle about it either.” Sobering, he stepped closer to her and patted her on the shoulder. “You’re a smart girl, Beatrice. You know your own mind. Don’t be afraid.”

“Thanks, Max,” Tris said gratefully. “That means a lot.”

“Good. Now, take your stance!” he barked. Tris settled into her stance and prepared for his first move.


	15. Tris' Birthday Pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings from the rainy East coast! I hope you all are enjoying the new content. There’s a lot more to come!

xXx

Christina curled her legs under her as she reached for a handful of popcorn. “So, how many people will be here tonight?”

Tris shrugged, sipping her sparkling water. “About thirty,” she replied. “Mom and Dad wanted to do something bigger but I told them that some huge party with hundreds of people wasn’t necessary. Besides, I think Susan and Caleb want to keep things low key.”

Christina let out a peal of laughter. “I thought you said their wedding was turning into an epic undertaking.”

“It is, which is why I think they wanted our birthday party to be more low key. They’ll shoot the wad on the wedding.” Tris grabbed the last of the popcorn and groaned. “Darn it, we’re out.” Glancing at the clock, her shoulders sagged as she realized they still had a good four hours until dinner. “Want some more?”

“Duh.”

“Ok, but then you’ll have to come brave it upstairs with me,” Tris grinned.

“Fine, whatever. How bad can it be for only thirty people?”

Grabbing the bowl, they unfolded themselves from the couch and headed upstairs to the kitchen. There they found the somewhat organized chaos inside with Penny, the Priors’ longtime cook and housekeeper, directing the caterers as they bustled around the kitchen.

“No, no, no, you have to keep the shrimp away from the crab puffs! The Gordons are Celiac!” Penny stood, her fists on her hips, glaring at the caterers who had been hired to help her. Looking over at the girls hovering in the doorway, she trained her glare on them. “What are you two doing up here? I banished you all for a reason!”

Tris smiled sheepishly as she held out the empty bowl. “We ran out of popcorn.”

Penny scowled again. “Put the bowl down. I don’t have time to pop it and I don’t want you two getting in our way, but will Doritos do?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tris and Christina said in concert, their voices in sing-song. Penny’s lips quivered as she fought a smile. Without a word, she marched into the pantry and returned with the bag. Thrusting it into Tris’ hands, she said shooing them out of the kitchen, “Now get out and don’t come back. I have a ton of things to get done.”

With youthful grins, they headed down the hallway with Tris pausing at the top of the lower level stairs when she heard her mother’s voice.

“I’m so thrilled you could come,” she heard Natalie gush.

“It’s no problem, Natalie.” The deep baritone sent a tingle down Tris’ spine as she recognized the voice. Behind her, Christina stopped and looked down the hallway into the hall.

“Oh, hey, looks like Tobias is here,” she said. “Did you know he was coming?”

Tris tried not to let her surprise show too much. “No, but the Eatons are usually at our family events, so it’s not that surprising. Normally, it’s just Marcus though. Evelyn spends a lot of time in France and, well, you know Tobias is usually hopping all over the world.”

“Let’s go say hi,” Christina said, marching off without noticing Tris’ slight hesitation. They entered the main foyer to see Natalie releasing Tobias from her embrace and turning to Anthony, the Prior family butler, as he picked up the small bag on the floor next to the door.

“I’ll put Mr. Eaton on the third floor.” Anthony said with a smile, his warm brown eyes crinkling a little at the edges. His cousin, Nicolette, was the Eaton’s’ longtime chef and he knew Tobias would bring him news of his family.

“That’s perfect, Anthony. Thank you.” Natalie’s smile widened when she saw Christina and Tris. “Hey, ladies, look who’s here!”

“Hi, Tobias,” Christina leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You’re looking well.”

He grinned at her. “Thanks, Christina,” he said before turning his gaze on Tris. “Hi, Tris. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” Tris said, trying her best to sound nonchalant. “I wasn’t expecting you.” At her mom’s arched look, she hurried to say, “Marcus is usually the one who comes to family things.”

“Dad couldn’t come this year. He had a bunch of meetings in New York.” Tobias smiled in Natalie’s direction but his eyes were still on Tris. “So, I volunteered to come in his place. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not!” Natalie patted Tobias on the arm. “You are more than welcome.” She beamed a motherly gaze to Tris, “Right?” Warning was clear in her voice.

“Sure!” Tris said, her mind racing. _How in the world was she supposed to be cool and calm when her pulse was racing a mile a minute just at the sight of him?_ Tris was still not exactly sure what was happening between them. Their time in Canada sometimes felt like a long-ago dream; one that she both longed for and dreaded. Being with him like that had been so easy—so natural—she could see it stretching far into the future. However, the future was something Tris usually preferred to avoid planning.

“We’ve been banished to the basement to watch movies.” Christina held up the bag of Doritos. “Want to join us?”

Tobias snorted. “Yeah, that media room is quite the prison. But we’re going to need more than that.”

“Good luck getting more out of Penny,” Christina snorted back. “The caterers are there and she’s on the warpath.”

“I can charm her.”

Natalie laughed lightly. “I’m sure you can. I know Penny is secretly enjoying all the preparations. You kids go on. There’s still a million things to do before everyone arrives at six.” She patted Tobias’ arm again and headed off towards the dining room.

“I’ll go pick out a movie,” Christina declared, “you two sneak more snacks.” She bounded down the stairs, leaving Tris and Tobias alone staring at each other. The house bustled around them preparing for the evening’s festivities, but for the moment, in the hallway, they could almost forget others were nearby.

“You look incredible,” he murmured.

Tris grinned at the obvious overstatement. She was in yoga pants and an oversized, long sleeved t-shirt, her hair in a ponytail, her face devoid of makeup. “You’re supposed to charm Penny, not me.”

He stepped to her, stopping mere inches away and Tris felt her breath catch. “I can do both,” he whispered.

Tris put her hand on his chest to stop him from moving any closer and immediately regretted it as she felt the warmth of his hard body through the thin, soft sweater. “Tobias, no. We can’t.”

“I know. Nobody can know about us, right now.”

Tris felt a chill at the words _right now_. They implied that someday there would be a right time—something Tris was not at all ready to contemplate. She liked Tobias; he was fast becoming one of her best friends. They either texted or emailed nearly every night with Tris using him as both a sounding board and a reference for her novel. She liked—no, loved—sleeping with him; he knew her body so well, it was like they’d been together for years. But the thought of anything more terrified her. “We need to stay around other people,” she said, grasping at any excuse to keep him at arm’s length while around the people that knew her best. “If we’re alone, you know what will happen.”

He grinned knowingly at her and Tris felt her knees weaken. For just a moment, she wondered if it would be so bad if everyone knew about them. She could claim him publicly and they’d be able to navigate their social world together…

Tris stopped her train of thought. There was no way they could be together. The obligations of their lives, the press, the pressure from their families, would be unrelenting and would eventually break them apart. No, it was best that they just keep this light, casual. If they could avoid spending time alone together while he was here, Tris could keep the distance between them.

“I know what I wish would happen,” Tobias growled sexily, “but you’re right. This really isn’t the time. It’s your birthday. The focus should just be on you and Caleb and not anything that could be between us.”

“Yes,” Tris managed a smile and ordered herself to get it together. There was a party to get through.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope all of you are having a lovely week. Thank you so much for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

xXx

Tris looked up at the soft knock on her bedroom door. “Yeah?” she called out, her eyes widening as Tobias slipped inside. “What are you doing here? We agreed to stick to being only around other people!” She hissed as he quietly closed the door behind him.

“I saw Christina go downstairs already and I knew this would be the only real chance I’d get to give you your present.”

Tris softened a little, relaxing. She’d been desperately afraid that if they were alone here in her room, she wouldn’t be able to control herself but she could handle just a few minutes alone, especially if they had the floor to themselves for the moment. “What? You can’t give it to me in front of everybody else?” she teased. “You’d better not be giving me something dirty!”

Tobias chuckled. “No, I have a perfectly appropriate gift for you downstairs but this is something more personal.”

Laughing softly, Tris stepped in closer to him. “What is it, naughty lingerie? I don’t see a La Perla box.”

Reaching into his pocket, Tobias pulled out a small, white, jewelry box. “How about this box instead?”

Tris eyed the jewelry box nervously as a rushing noise filled her ears. _He isn’t_ _¾_ _he couldn’t possibly…_ She thought before inwardly shaking her head at the barely formed thought. _It’s probably just some earrings or something._

“Hm, that’s an awfully small box for a nightgown. I don’t think you got your money’s worth,” she joked instead to cover up her discomfort, her voice not nearly as confident as she wanted it to sound. Tobias grinned her at her, hearing the catch in her voice. He liked seeing her off-balance.

“It’s not a nightgown.” Opening the top of the box, he removed a delicate necklace. “I’m a little more subtle than that.” He held the necklace up so she could see it better.

Tris gasped a little, “Oh, Tobias. It’s beautiful!”

Moving behind her, Tobias clasped the rose gold necklace around her neck. “It’s carnelian,” he explained, moving back to the front to look at the clover-shaped pendant now resting just below her delicate collarbones. “It’s supposed to promote creativity, motivation and career growth.” He liked the way the reddish-orange gemstone with the small diamond in the center contrasted against her milky skin. “Think of it as a talisman, of sorts, to help inspire your book. Plus, it’s a four leaf clover for luck.”

Tris reached up and touched the small pendant before looking into his dark blue eyes. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered.

Cupping her face in his hands, Tobias leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. “Say, thank you.”

“Thank you,” she parroted, lifting up on her tiptoes to press her mouth to his. She kissed him slowly, deeply; their mouths moved together in practiced perfection. Tris felt Tobias’ hands slide down to fist at the small of her back as he pressed his body to hers. She felt like she was falling, drowning in his deep, drugging kisses. She finally pulled away from him, her breathing shallow and rapid. They stared at each other and Tris felt her heart fluttering. Tobias cradled the edge of her jaw with his fingers. “Happy birthday, Tris,” he whispered, his warm breath caressing her lips almost like a physical touch.

All she could do was nod as he reluctantly pulled away from her. “I’ll see you downstairs,” he winked at her and walked out of the room. 

On shaky legs, Tris walked over to her vanity and touched the gorgeous necklace with trembling fingers. She’d recognized the logo of Van Cleef & Arpels on the white box Tobias had held, so she had a really good idea exactly how expensive his gift had been. And to realize he’d researched the meaning of the gemstone _¾_ that he’d given her something so meaningful and personal¾made Tris’ head swim again as it had when they’d kissed. She took a deep breath as she stared at herself in the mirror. It was just a necklace, she told herself. She was acting like a silly, teenage schoolgirl and needed to snap out of it. Picking up her lipstick, she repaired the damage to her lips and fiddled a little with her hair. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at herself in the mirror.

Convinced she was back in control, she pushed away from the vanity and walked out of her bedroom, not realizing she’d left the necklace on around her neck.

xXx

Tris descended the stairs, her legs still slightly shaky from the intensity of the kiss she and Tobias had just shared. As she reached the bottom of the staircase, she could hear people talking and laughing, so she paused for a moment to compose herself. She needed to be sure her mask of self-control was in place. They would be surrounded by her family¾by friends that knew them both very well¾so keeping up appearances would be critical to maintaining the secret of their lovemaking. She took a deep breath, straightening her shoulders and fixing a slight smile on her face then strode into the living room.

People were scattered about, drinks in their hands¾some standing, some sitting¾but all chatting and creating a cheerful din. Tris was the last person to enter the room and her mother spied her almost immediately.

“There you are!” Natalie bustled over and brushed a kiss to her daughter’s cheek. “I was beginning to wonder.” Natalie threw her arm around Tris’ shoulder and leaned forward so she could whisper directly into her ear. “The Kramers are here but Albert couldn’t make it. So, I’m afraid you’ll be solo tonight.”

Tris breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t sure if she could deal with an old boyfriend in the same room as her current¾whatever Tobias was. “I don’t need a date to my own birthday, Mom.”

“Of course not, but I’d hoped! Oh well! Get a drink¾mingle,” Natalie ordered before she glided across the room to greet friends.

Christina sidled up to her and handed her a glass of champagne. “You look like you need this,” she said. “What was that all about?”

Tris took a grateful gulp. “Mom is disappointed Albert Kramer isn’t here.”

Christina rolled her eyes, amused. “That guy you went out with in college? The one you got suckered into going to dinner with, what, last year sometime?” At Tris’ miserable nod, Christina laughed. “Well, thank God for small favors.”

“Why would she think I need a date to my own birthday party? I mean, God!”

“Not everybody is as anti-dating as you, sweetie,” Christina said amused, sipping her own champagne. She looked her best friend over and her eyes landed on the necklace Tris wore. “Hey, that’s gorgeous! Is that new?” She reached up to lightly touch the pendant.

Tris startled a little; she had forgotten she was still wearing it. “Um, yeah. You know, birthday.”

“It looks good on you.” Christina nodded then shot Tris a wicked smirk as her dark eyes swept around the room and settled on Tobias, who was standing and talking with Caleb. “And yeah, it’s a good thing Albert isn’t here. You need someone better than him. Hotter.” As if sensing her gaze, Tobias glanced over at them and flashed a brief grin. “Mm, you have to admit, Tobias Eaton is one gorgeous piece of man.”

Heat crept into Tris’ cheeks and she sipped her champagne, hoping to cover her reaction. “Aren’t you and Will back together?” she asked, pointedly.

Shrugging, her lips still curved in a smile, Christina said, “The day I stop noticing sexy men is the day you put me six feet under.”

Tris rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”

“And you’re blushing so you know I’m right.” Christina tilted her head and regarded her best friend. “You know, you two would look hot together. You should hit on him; get a little birthday nookie.” She wiggled her eyebrows. Before Tris could respond, Penny¾now formally dressed in black slacks with a white shirt¾entered the room and whispered into Natalie’s ear.

“Everyone, Penny has just informed me that dinner is ready! Let’s go ahead and move into the dining room,” Natalie announced, threading her arm through Andrew’s. As people moved into the dining room, Tris followed behind Christina, grateful for the reprieve.

xXx

Tris laughed as she opened her father’s gift. “Really, Dad?” she asked.

Andrew shrugged. “I had no idea what to get you.”

“Well, what is it?” Christina demanded, looking up from her cell. She had been texting with Will on and off during the night.

Tris held up a Kindle gift card and everyone laughed.

“Nice going, Dad,” Caleb teased. “Looks like I got the better present again, Tris,” he added, patting the new 9-iron golf club he’d just gotten. Tris rolled her eyes, sharing a look with Susan who was cuddled up next to Caleb. In Prior family tradition, Caleb, the elder twin by 5 minutes, had opened all of his presents first.

“Whatever, Caleb.”

Natalie shook her head. “Now children,” she chided playfully. Deep in her heart she was thrilled to see her family getting along so well, almost like old times. There hadn’t been any discussion of Caleb leaving the company nor Tris’ refusal to join, for which Natalie was eternally grateful. She had been a little concerned that Andrew wouldn’t be able to help himself and would push the issues with his children again, but so far the night had gone smoothly. The dinner party, complete with Caleb and Tris’ favorite foods, had broken up not long before; the Priors deciding to save present opening until everyone had left. There had been about thirty people in attendance but now they were down to what Natalie thought of as the core family—she and Andrew, Caleb and Susan, Tris, Christina and Tobias.

“It’s a thoughtful gift, Dad. There’re some new books I want to read, anyway,” Tris said primly to her dad before turning and making a face at her brother.

Andrew chuckled sheepishly. “I knew you’d at least want books but otherwise you haven’t made sense to me since you outgrew Barbie dolls.”

Getting up, Tris kissed her father on his cheek. “I never played with Barbies, Dad.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Laughing, Tris sunk down on the couch again and reached for the next present, a slim box with silver wrapping and a black bow.

“That’s from my parents and me,” Tobias said as their eyes met across the room. He felt an immediate tension flare up between them. He’d noticed earlier that she hadn’t taken off the necklace he’d placed around her neck before dinner. He tried hard not to notice now how well the cowl neck blouse she wore framed the necklace or how the black silk clung to her breasts when she moved. Sipping his Cognac, he hoped no one else had noticed their exchange. From the look on Tris’ face, he knew she had felt it though.

To draw attention from him, Tris began pulling the wrapping paper off the box. Opening the top, she gasped, “Oh, Tobias, it’s beautiful!” Nestled inside the black velvet was a fountain pen with swirls of purple, red, blue and white. The pen sparkled slightly, resembling a galactic nebula.

“It seemed appropriate for all the copy you’ve been writing for the company’s vacation packages,” he smiled and toasted her with his glass. “Happy birthday, Tris.”

She smiled back, her eyes beginning to soften, but then caught herself when she noticed the speculative look on her mother’s face. Tris brightened her smile instead and replied, “Thank your parents for me, Tobias. I really appreciate it.” She put the pen on the couch next to her and reached for the last present. “I know who this is from,” she teased at the glossy, bright purple wrapping paper. Opening it, Tris grinned at the long, cream to purple ombre sweater she’d been eying from Stephanie’s latest collection. “I knew it!” she exclaimed, turning her attention to Christina.

“You’ve been eying it since you saw it on Mom’s drawing board,” Christina teased back while putting away her cell phone, having missed the heated exchange between Tris and Tobias.

“You even color coordinated the wrapping paper,” Tris said with a laugh.

“Of course, it’s me. Oh, and I saw the cutest gray, crop pants at Tom Ford. They’re a little shimmery and would go so well with that.” Tris continued chatting about fashion with Christina, drawing her mom and Susan into the conversation to cover the earlier moment with Tobias. As they talked, she glanced across the room to see Tobias in conversation with Andrew but he glanced up in time for his gaze to collide with hers. She looked away again quickly, wondering if he would risk sneaking into her room again tonight, and if he did, could she turn him away this time?

5

Tris flipped over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. She knew she should be asleep and tried to convince herself that there was no reason why she was awake. Sighing, she admitted to herself that she knew exactly why she was awake but she wasn’t going to do anything about it. Turning onto her side, she plumped her pillow and settled back into the bed, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She was determined to get some sleep.

However, an image of Tobias running his hand along the inside of her thigh became vivid in her mind causing her eyes to pop back open.

No, no, no. She wasn’t going to think of him—absolutely not. Closing her eyes again, she tried to visualize a calm place with a comfortable couch and a roaring fire…and Tobias’ head buried between her legs.

Groaning, she turned onto her other side, punching the pillow again and squeezing her eyes shut.

She imagined a quiet forest with stately trees, their green leaves allowing gentle rays of sunshine to stipple through to the ground below. Ahead of her was a babbling brook, the water cascading over rocks, creating small waterfalls. She was lying on a blanket by the brook, listening to the gentle tinkle of the water…and seeing Tobias braced over her, moving steadily within her.

_Dammit!_ Tris punched the mattress next to her in frustration. She was absolutely not going to give in to her desire for Tobias. Her entire family was here—her parents, her brother and soon to be sister-in-law. Her best friend was right down the hall—a best friend with an almost preternatural ability to figure out what was going on with her. No, going to Tobias under these circumstances was absolutely insane.

Tris sighed. She was an adult. She knew better than to drink an entire pitcher of margaritas or to eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting. Sure, it might be fun at the time, but she’d pay for it in the morning. So, no, she would just be an adult and exercise a little self-control. Easy. Closing her eyes, she settled back into her pillow.

After a moment, she gave up and allowed her eyelids to drift open. She was not going to Tobias. This…thing…with him had gotten entirely out of hand and it was time for her to regain control. They slept together when they were in the mood and the opportunity arose, that was all. This overwhelming desire she felt to be with him now, to snuggle up next to him and just sleep, wasn’t anything Tris wanted to indulge.

She sat up in bed, rearranging the covers around her. Going to Tobias was silly and indulgent. She was acting like she couldn’t keep her hands off him, as if she were somehow addicted to him. She scoffed at the thought. That was patently ridiculous. She wasn’t obsessed with him; she could resist him if she wanted. In fact, they’d been together all day and did anyone suspect they were sleeping together? Absolutely not. They’d kept their hands off each other and that had been fine.

_Well, there were those incredibly addictive kisses in her bedroom,_ her traitorous mind reminded her. Tris dismissed the memory of his strong hands cupping her face, his firm and surprisingly soft lips caressing hers. A couple of kisses meant nothing—least of all did it represent some kind of chink in her armor where Tobias was concerned. She could control herself.

But did she really want to? After all they hadn’t seen each other for well over a month and there was no indication that they’d be seeing each other again. He was just across the hall. When would this opportunity ever present again? She could slip into and out of his room with no one the wiser and they could indulge in one more fleeting moment of passion.

Sliding out of bed, Tris decided that sneaking into his room didn’t mean that she needed him, only that she wanted him. This was a choice, not some kind of compulsion. Opening her door slightly, she stood for a moment listening intently. The hallway was quiet with no indication that either Christina or Tobias were awake. Keeping her eye on Christina’s door, she hurried across the hall and quietly eased Tobias’ door open. As she slipped inside his room, she saw him immediately push himself up to a partially seated position.

“Tris? What—”

“Shh.” She hurried over to his side of the bed and put her finger over his lips. “We need to be quiet,” she whispered.

Taking her hand in his, he pressed his lips to the inside of her hand. It was too dark to see him clearly, but Tris imagined his blue eyes were dancing wickedly. “I will if you will,” he teased.

A smile curved Tris’ lips as she slid off the bed and pulled her silky nightgown over her head. A part of her wondered if she had chosen to wear the short, chemise nightgown because she knew deep down that she would end up in bed with him. Pushing away the thought, she slipped back into bed with him as he yanked off the boxers he wore and dropped them over the side of the bed. As soon as she was settled in the bed, Tobias leaned over her, his lips teasing hers. Small sips quickly turned into long, languid kisses. Tris’ fingers played with the short hairs at the back of his head, while Tobias’ hands molded themselves along her sides.

Minutes or seconds later, time had lost meaning to Tris. Tobias’ lips left hers to trail down her neck, across her chest. He paused, taking a moment to take each nipple in his mouth, his teeth lightly scraping along her sensitive flesh. Tris pressed her lips together, muffling the small sounds of pleasure. He continued his downward journey across her quivering stomach, over her hips, until he reached his goal. Tris shoved her hand against her mouth, doing her best to keep the sound down as Tobias’ very talented tongue licked and probed. He held her legs apart, teasing her, inflaming her, until he felt her break, her thighs shaking while small moans escaped around her hand. Drunk on her and nearly desperate, he surged up her body and pulled her hand away replacing it with his mouth.

Tris pushed, urging him over onto his back and climbing on top of him. She leaned down and kissed him deeply, enjoying his hard body beneath hers as she rubbed herself against him. Finally, he grabbed her undulating hips, holding her against him and murmured, “Enough,” against her lips. With a grin, Tris raised herself over him, taking him in hand and slowly lowering herself onto him. Tobias clutched her hips, squeezing his eyes closed for a moment, savoring the velvet heat surrounding him. As she began to move, Tobias opened his eyes. It was too dark to see her clearly but in the dim light, he saw her golden hair trailing behind her as she let her head fall back. He knew what she’d look like, the passion on her face, and imagined her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted. With that image in mind, he closed his eyes again and concentrated on the feel of her body above his, the soft skin, the deceptively strong muscles; she was lithe and athletic yet soft in all the right places. She was everything he wanted, quite possibly for the rest of his life.

Tobias’ eyes shot open as he realized what he felt for Tris went beyond just lust, beyond just liking her. It was becoming something deeper, stronger, and he realized that it was not the first time he’d had that same thought. Disconcerted by the path his mind had taken, Tobias sat up, pulling Tris closer to him and pushing his hips into hers. She let out a surprised squeak and grasped his shoulders, meeting him stroke for stroke. Their movement sped up and Tobias felt the tremble deep inside her. As close as they were, he could see her bite her bottom lip and squeeze her eyes shut. The feel of her squeezing him, fluttering around him, broke his control and he tumbled her back to retake control.

As he surged into her, Tris let out a loud moan then clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Tobias chuckled lowly and replaced her hand with his lips again, lowering his chest to hers as he pounded inside her. He swallowed her groans, her tongue matching the pace of his hips and before long, he felt Tris shake beneath him again. This time, the sensation of her milking him was too much and he let himself go over the edge with her.

Tris lay beneath Tobias, her chest heaving as she tried in vain to catch her breath. He was a hot, heavy weight on top of her and she found that she had no desire for him to move. The sensation terrified her and she wiggled beneath him a little. Tobias took the hint and moved to her side, his arm heavy across her waist. They lay together, Tris staring at the ceiling as she realized her head was near the foot of the bed. She wanted to wind herself around him, to snuggle into him and never ever leave. The thought propelled her as she bolted upright, her breathing increasing as panic ran through her. She took a deep breath to calm herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed, standing shakily. As she bent to retrieve her nightgown, Tobias stirred behind her.

“Hey, where are you going?” he asked quietly, the confusion apparent in his voice.

Slipping the nightgown over her head, she schooled her face into a neutral expression forgetting for a moment that he could not see her. “I’ve got to go back to my room.” She tried to inject a bit of levity into her voice as she whispered, “If I stay here, I’ll fall asleep.” She wished she could see his expression but she could tell the line of his body was tense. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Tris leaned over and kissed him lightly. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

He reached up and cupped the back of her head, returning her kiss deeply. “Okay. Sleep well.”

“Oh, that’s certainly a guarantee now,” she said lightly before pulling away. She hurried out of the room, not allowing herself to think until she was safely back into her own room. Closing the door quietly, she leaned back against it, her heart still racing. Going to Tobias had been a mistake, she realized now. Making love with him was not getting him out of her system. Tris was beginning to fear that nothing would.


End file.
